by John Mariotti
24 days out. This is the “dip” time. The days and times when I question some of my life choices. It feels like I am not getting fitter and might even be going backward. It feels as if nothing is going right, and everything is going wrong. Hip, back, knee, you name it and it’s sore, hurt, and/or achy. Luckily, this isn’t my first rodeo and I recognize these symptoms for what they are…the dip.
The dip in enthusiasm. The dip in energy. The dip in results. The dip in progress. The key to combatting the dip? Recognize it, call it out, and smile as one foot continues to move forward after the other. It’s too late. There is no turning back from here. There is no other cure for the dip, and it is at this point real progress is right around the corner. Just when all looks lost and the trail has gone cold, the sun will break out and the end of the journey will be in sight.
I share this detail with you because we all go through the “dip.” Anytime we are striving and working towards a goal, there will come a point when we want to quit. When quitting seems like the best strategy. Quitting is rarely the right choice when faced with the “dip.” And the primary reason is what is waiting for you when you emerge from the “dip.” The satisfaction of battling through self-doubt, worry, and the suffering of no results. The sweetest victory is the one over your own self-imposed difficulties.