What is rationalization? It’s our best friend. It’s our enemy. It’s our frienemy. It makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside because it tells us it’s OK to take the easy way out. It feels good over here. It’s a warm blanket in the winter. It’s also our enemy because it gives us a reason to cheat ourselves.
EX:
Rationalization: I only got 5 hours of sleep. I don’t feel like doing it, It’ll probably be better if I just take today off and crush it tomorrow.
Reality: HOW MANY TOMORROWS DO WE ACTUALLY HAVE??
Rationalization: I trained twice yesterday and am super sore today…Maybe I’ll just take today off and go in tomorrow.
Reality: SO WHAT YOU TRAINED TWICE? ARE WE NOW JUDGED ON WHAT WE DID YESTERDAY?
Rationalization: I squatted so hard on Thursday. It’s Saturday. I feel tired from the week and need to catch up on some sleep. I’ll hit it hard next week.
Reality: IF YOU HAD 2 MONTHS TO PUT 50LBS ON YOUR SQUAT OR YOU WOULD DIE WOULD YOU SQUAT 2x A WEEK OR WOULD YOU WANT TO SQUAT EVERY DAMN DAY????? (John Broz)
The REALITY is your mind doesn’t always have your best interest at heart. It has what “feels good” at heart. We must break this. “To get something you’ve never had, you must do something you’ve never done.”
NOBODY HAS EVER SAID “MAN, I WISH I DIDN’T GO TO THE GYM TODAY.” Everyone ALWAYS says “Man, I wish I went to the gym yesterday!.”
Well dangit…How many “yesterday’s do we have? Those “yesterday” wishes are keeping all of us from becoming the best version of ourselves.
So I challenge all of you (And myself as I am dealing with recurring hip problems after hip surgery a year and a half ago) to say “SCREW OFF” to your rationalizations. The battle is never won or lost on the battlefield. It’s won before you show up…in preparation…in the mind.
Salute.
