From the first time that I stepped foot onto a field it felt very much like home… like this is where I belong. I played various sports starting from the age of 6, from soccer and baseball to basketball and football. In my last post I talked about some of the physical challenges I faced growing up that impacted my progress in school and my health. Because of that I developed a love for sports, primarily football.
I didn’t have a worry or care in the world when on the field. All of my problems with my ears and school faded away for the time being. Football taught me so much about life in general. My dream was to play in the NFL, which allowed me to develop a strong work ethic along with discipline and mental toughness. I tried to always give 100% effort when it came to training whether that was on the track, in the weight room, or on the field. To this day I try my best to give it my all when training.
Keeping goals are key to your growth in fitness. I remember entering 9th grade at 145 lbs. with a dream to become an NFL running back. I needed to perfect my football skills and gain strength and speed in order to have a shot at achieving my goal. With a strong desire to get better and perfect my craft, I played football and ran track in high school. Running track along with weightlifting 4 times a week for 4 years straight allowed me to develop explosiveness from the starting line, speed, and strength for football. With my determination and work ethic, I put on 20 pounds of muscle each year and sharpened my skills. By the time I finished 12th grade, I was 205 lbs. and had offers to play Division I football in college.
Even though I’m no longer competing at a collegiate or professional level, it is still my goal to maintain speed, strength, agility, explosiveness, and overall athletic skill for as long as possible. By keeping the bar high it keeps me motivated to workout and stay in shape.
My goal is to live to see the age of at least 100, but in order for me to see triple digits, I must maintain a healthy lifestyle. Now this is a long-term goal of mine, and none of us is promised tomorrow, but if we set the bar high for ourselves, we just might find the extra motivation that we need on a daily basis.
Let’s all try to perfect our craft in some fitness area of our life today. The key is to win the day. That means everyday you get up and give your best effort, no matter how small you start. Make the best decisions moment by moment, and at the end of the day, you’ve won. Stay positive no matter how much you may struggle with a certain aspect of fitness in your life. The only thing that matters is that you keep trying to get better.
Our fitness journey was not meant to be an easy one, but if everything came easy in life, we may not appreciate the results like we should. If nothing else, always remember that the Lord’s strength is made perfect in our weakness. That is the ultimate victory.