By AJ Pedro, AFH Wellbeing Ambassador, AMHA Athlete Advisory Committee Co-Chair
If I could go back and give my college self one piece of advice, it would be to learn to fall in love with the process, not the outcome.
As a college athlete, I did everything possible in training to try and make sure that when it came time to compete I would succeed. But success to me in college only meant winning, regardless of what my performance looked like and if I was enjoying the process. For most of my college career, I defined myself by my win-loss record, and getting my hand raised at all costs. This meant that, in my mind, anything less than adding a W to my season record was a complete failure. But what happens when you get injured and can’t compete at all? How do you then define success and have an identity when all you’ve ever focused on was winning?
These are the types of questions I was forced to ask myself when I was on the sidelines after having multiple surgeries and not being in the lineup.
During the time spent injured and not competing, I was forced to sit with myself and figure out who I was and what wrestling meant to me outside of competition. Showing up for teammates, supporting those around me, and doing anything I could to contribute to the team made me find enjoyment in a different kind of process than I was used to. When an injury or other circumstances force you to step outside your normal routine as an athlete, it can be difficult to adjust to a new relationship with your sport.
Reflecting on my college career, what sticks out the most to me is recognizing that I never truly learned to enjoy the process. If I had taken the time to reflect on what wrestling meant to me in my life and learned to fall in love with the actual act of training, competing, and constantly improving, I would have had a much more positive relationship with the sport in the middle of my career and at the end of it.
Fast forward to now in my career as a business owner and Ironman athlete, I have a much more intentional way of practicing gratitude and enjoying the process. Each and every day, regardless of how difficult the training on the schedule is, I take the time to stop for a moment and remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to move my body and pursue a goal of my choosing. Every time I toe the line at a race I tell myself I have already won, regardless of the outcome, simply due to the fact that I GET to compete today. Shifting my mindset to one that is present and deeply rooted in being grateful to experience being an athlete and pursuing my goals has made me enjoy triathlon as a sport and lifestyle.
So to whoever is struggling to find enjoyment in the process currently, and whatever hardships you are facing, remind yourself that there is always something to be grateful for and that the process is always more meaningful than the end result.
