Thank you for reading this week’s Operation Melt update.
Operation Melt started as a blog to share my personal transformation and weight loss story. After achieving success with that goal, Operation Melt has evolved into a platform to help inspire, motivate and equip people to achieve their own personal and professional goals so they can live their best lives.
I am trying to build a world where no goal ever dies of loneliness.
Throughout my journey, I have learned that many life lessons can be learned by getting fit. This week I am sharing another installment of Fitness Lessons are Life Lessons.
Do You Remember Grade Cards?
Back in the 90s, in Columbus Public Schools, our high school report cards gave out letter grades but also went a step further. Every nine weeks, kids would get a report card that included a letter grade (A through F) for each class and an associated number (1, 2 or 3). These numbers represented the level of effort exerted by a student.
Every parent wanted to see their kids get an A1 in every class, this meant the kid aced the class and worked hard doing it. Similarly, you didn’t want to see your child with an F3 because it meant that they not only failed the class but exerted very minimal effort doing so.
Here’s a quick personal example of where this applied to me.
During my freshman year of high school, I attended an introduction to government class. The class was very easy. The teacher was not good. Not having built a good filter yet, I never hesitated to point out when she was wrong, and it was often.
My grade in the class was an A3, which meant that I exerted minimal effort.
After that class, I moved into mostly honors classes and never got another A3. I got more C2 and C1 grades which means I was working hard but not getting to the A. I ended up challenging myself more and had to work harder.
Then and Now
Fast forward to the present time and this has played out in my fitness journey too. By April of 2018, I was ten months into my weight loss journey, had reached my goal and had started running. I was thinking about running my first race, a 5k, but wasn’t thinking bigger than that. I knew I was going to be successful with the 5K and that was as far as I had set my sights.
I attended the Cap City Half Marathon to cheer on some of my friends who were running it and some who were walking. As I saw the pack run by me and started seeing slower and slower runners, I had an eye-opening moment. I was selling myself too short.
Read more about my Half Marathon “Remorse” in my 4/29/2018 post: Week 45: A good week!
I was setting an easy goal for my current skill level, a 5K, and didn’t have the confidence to trust myself to go even further. I could have done at least a quarter marathon walk that day but never considered it. I needed some time to realize that I could do anything.
Can A C Be Better Than An A?
We all want wins. We all want achievements. We all want to be good at everything. In short, we all want an A. Take it from me, I am wired as an achiever.
The danger of being focused on getting the A is that it may cause us to do something that could undermine that win. You may try to always do easy things, things well within your comfort zone, just to engineer the win.
On the other hand, if you step outside of your comfort zone and really push yourself, you may not do as well in the end. You may not get the win. Your grade may not be an A. But you will end up with something even better than the short term win. You will achieve growth. You will build capacity for the future win.
Can a C be better than an A? Yes! When the C is a stretch that pushed you outside of your comfort zone, it is a stepping stone to an even better A in the future. When an A is a lay-up or easy win, have you really achieved anything?
Wait, doesn’t thank mean that life keeps moving the goalposts? Yes. As you get better, the achievements seem easier, so you have to pursue bigger things to stay outside of your comfort zone. The trick is to enjoy the hard work as much as the victory. If you spend every day loving the journey, it won’t feel like the goalposts are moving or that your hard-earned C is less meaningful than your easy A.
Get out there, push yourself hard, enjoy the journey and be ok with not getting the A if you really got out of your comfort zone. You are still winning!
I Need Your Help
Before you go I would like to ask you for a favor. I can’t build a world where no goal ever dies of loneliness on my own. Please consider helping your friends find today’s post by following me on Facebook, on LinkedIn or via Instagram and share today’s post to your feed.
While you are at it, I’d love to hear your thoughts on today’s post, your goals or anything else on your mind. Send me a note via my Contact Me form,
Thanks again for reading today’s post and here’s to achieving your most important goals!
Sign Up
Want these updates delivered straight to your inbox? Sign-up below:
