Training has to be more than an physical act. Training is about the journey. When we do or don't achieve our goals in the gym , its important we analyze the journey. The physical act of lets say accomplishing a PR plays a subordinate role to the actual process that allowed one to do so. Discipline of proper training , eating , recovery , etc trump the actual act itself. If we lose sight of this , then in my opinion we miss the essence of why we do what we do. The journey is where all the growth comes from , the PR is just a physical reflection of the growth. On the contrary , if one doesn't reach his/her goal , we still look at the process as to correct the cause. Ultimately our athletes strive for excellence with an understanding that excellence can never be attained thus never creating a fealing of "arrival".
Modern man is conditioned to expect instant gratification but any success or triumph realized quickly, with only marginal effort is necessarily shallow. Meaningful achievement takes time, hard work, persistence, patience, proper intent and constant self-awareness. The path to such success is punctuated by failure, consolidation and renewed effort. It is wet with the tears of emotional breakdown. Personal reconstruction is art. Discovering one's self, one's talent and ambition and learning how to express it is a creative process so may not be rushed. What's the hurry? Pressure to succeed according to a particular timeline comes from outside. If the goal is selfish self-improvement there is no schedule, no deadline. One's rate of progress is influenced by the intensity used to address the task. Hard, intelligent work speeds us along the path. Neurotic obsession and compulsion may steepen the trajectory but usually lead to illness and injury. In the end, the process takes as long as it takes -- you can't push the river. We are in it for the long haul and demand the same of the athletes we train - Gym Jones
