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How to Stop Sucking...

Friday, 04 April 2014 01:10

By Jesse Thomas (triathlon.competitor.com)

Jesse Thomas’ three-step plan to conquering all the stuff you suck at.

Unless you’re Ryan Gosling from the movie “Drive,” you probably have a weakness or two. I’ll tell you that I am no Ryan Gosling. I don’t own a leather jacket, I drive a Prius and there are tons of things I could work on that would make me a better person.

Most of us try to work on our weaknesses at least once a year, either with New Year’s resolutions, or in the case of us athletes, new season resolutions....

Most people take a deep look, make a list, set some goals, download an app and set off with big goofy smiles on their faces, convinced that they’re six weeks away from their perfect selves.

The problem is that three weeks later, most of us give up and revert to our old habits. WikiJesseBrain says that only 7.4 percent of new season resolutions last more than three weeks, unless that resolution involves more cookies, more TV and/or fewer vegetables.

I’m the same way, and used to do the exact same thing. I can’t tell you how many times I set tons of goals—no TV, juice every day, 1,000 kick in the pool, get a regular haircut. But alas, I just couldn’t do it, people! Like most of us, in the excitement of a new season, I’d overreach. I’d binge-better myself. And when the binge wore off, I’d pay the price with too many unsustainable goals that I couldn’t achieve. I’d burn out, feel bad about myself, throw ice cream, cookies, peanut butter and chocolate into the juicer and drown my sorrows watching “The Mindy Project.” (The last sentence is too detailed to be fake.)
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