Get fitter. Build muscle. Aim for eight hours sleep. Save money. Find your purpose. Eat well - wholefoods. Get some sun (not too much). Be responsible. Take the right supplements........
Pffffffttttttt!!!!!
“You coming for a beer or heading to the gym?” ‘Fuck it, I'll come.’
I have good chats with my two workmates and watch the sunset over the orange desert. After four gym sessions and four thirteen hour days, I choose imperfection over perfection for the night.
I've gone down a lot of self improvement rabbit holes throughout my life and have learned some great stuff about health, fitness, psychology and more. I am fascinated by self improvement and the biohacking revolution that has been gaining speed from a fringe community of nutters to something more mainstream.
More and more people are viewing life differently. Unreasonably even. Attempting to upgrade what is possible for themselves mentally, physically and emotionally.
Is the constant pursuit of perfection robbing us somewhat of our human condition in all its highs, lows and messiness?
“Everything in moderation.” I've heard my my old man say on a number of occasions, especially when I've told him of my latest pursuit of perfection whether it be quitting sugar, abstaining from alcohol or aiming for peak fitness. I've often internally groaned. What does he even mean? “You're dogmatic when you get focused on something.” Another Dadism he's mentioned to me.
Is there a way to splice the pursuit of perfectionism with the ability to allow ourselves off the hook from time to time? Not be so hard on ourselves when maybe we don't quite hit our lofty aspirations?
Writing for over a year on life through my lenses has allowed me to look back at the cold hard data. Sometimes I do fail or slip up. Maybe it's subconscious programs sabotaging where I want to be. Maybe deep down I'm lazy. Maybe, the biggest Maybe, is that I am just living the human experience and everything that has happened, has happened the way it's meant to and there was no other way.
You see the theme in modern blockbuster movies like The Flash, Avengers: Endgame and Spiderman: No Way Home. There is the possibility of alternative timelines, but no amount of trying to change the past will improve the present.
Attempting perfectionism is admirable. The basketballers like Kobe who barely missed. Novak Djokovic the greatest tennis player of all time. Arnie in his heyday of bodybuilding. Even in the above mentioned superstars, perfectionism has not applied to every area of their lives.
We aren't robots. We can't be perfect.
What I do subscribe to is a continuous will to improve. It doesn't mean being the best or winning. Just aiming to get better.
My yardstick to measure where I'm at?
My sons.
They'll tell me straight if I'm off course too much. “Dad, your six pack has just about gone. “Geez Dad you dropped another catch.”
I want them to be proud of their old man. I also want them to know that I'm not perfect. There are plenty of flaws and mistakes I've made. So when they make their own mistakes or fail to hit some goals, they don't beat themselves up too much.
I hope they be their best, but when their humanness comes through and they're not, I want them to know that I'm still proud of them.
I finish writing this after spending a near on perfect day off from work. News from my son of an epic high score in sport. A video catchup with my parents. A personal best at the gym. An adventure planned for the near future. I'll finish the day with a few beers watching the sunset.
An acceptance of life in all its perfect and imperfect glory.
Perhaps some moderation and less dogma were good pieces of fatherly advice from the old man after all.
Another insightful and thought provoking blog Trey!! Love it
Interesting. And I agree, we are in a moment where everyone is obsessed with improvement and perfection. Every winter my family and I are chronically sick. I have to remind myself not to have lofty fitness and life goals during these few months.