Do you ever truly give 100% to anything?
Lately, I’ve had a lot of time to think.
As I recover—steadily but much too slowly—much of my customary activity has been curtailed. So I think, which for me is often a dangerous activity.
I’ve tried to remain positive. I had to cancel a commitment to lead a retreat, postpone a couple of speaking gigs. It’s difficult to find much good in such loss, but I’m trying to remember that Romans 8:28 (God causes all things to work together for good) is still in the Bible. Turning tragedy into triumph is God’s job, not mine.
I’ve worried a bit—okay, more than a bit—about the bike ride. Lost training, preparation that needs to be happening…thinking turns into worrying pretty easily.
I’ve reached one conclusion in my extended thinking time. This setback has compressed my comfortable timelines. If the ride’s going to happen successfully, I need to make a decision to be all-in.
All-in
I don’t think of myself as an all-in guy. I tend to hedge my bets, use multitasking as an excuse for not quite making that 100% commitment. But with the shortened time frame and all I wish to accomplish, the ride’s going to require an unfamiliar level of focus.
So what does all-in mean, specifically? I came up with these:
- Being fully in the moment. Focused, not distracted, willing to say NO to the urgent in order to accomplish the important.
- Being willing to stretch and extend, not set preconceived, artificial limitations, not be stopped by unfamiliarity or awkwardness.
- Being willing to keep going, not make excuses, set aside comfort when you’re tired and feel like quitting
Nice words, huh? But they’re not me, not the way I’ve trained myself to go at life. So now—the question.
Can I—can you—go all-in when it matters?
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