The vast majority of people are in the gym primarily for the latter, not the former. To be clear, there are athletes who can very clearly explain what altering a physical characteristic will provide them, what a purely physical change means for their performance. For most of us, the goal is change. The physical metrics we use are simply a reflection of the decisions we would like to be making. A sub 7 2k, 2.5 bodyweight deadlift and visible abs? All good goals, nothing high level enough to change your life, but they usually require focus and patience to attain. They require practice through multiple disciplines, attention, and usually the ability to change the plan mid stream. These goals are helpful, not because being able to do them will change your options, but earning them will. Will change you fundamentally.
If you let it.
It is helpful to recognize that the physical goals we are striving for are not the goal, but the means. They are symbols, they are our idea of the measurable differences, the things that we think we could do if we were able to embody meaningful change. But it is vital to remember that the meaningful change is the important part. If you could add 5 pounds to your bench press without even trying, of course you would, but what then? What next? What would you gain? Lifting the weight or hitting the target time is not really the goal for most of us, it is the trophy, the sign that we did the damn thing. The “thing” in question is to pay attention. To execute a plan. To be focused and uncomfortable and to make a few sacrifices because we decided that it was worth it.
And we so often forget that.
We get so focused on the symbol that we try and hack it. Try and get the reward without doing the work, even though we made up the fucking reward for the sole purpose of convincing ourselves to do the fucking work.
Humans are funny things. We are so accomplished at cutting corners. Efficiency is a biological imperative and achieving the same results with less energy is an unqualified success. The thing to remember is that, in this case: the results are not the same. That sometimes a shortcut takes you someplace else. We often say “the plan is not the goal” – but too often we aren’t clear about what the goal really is. It isn’t to have a bigger deadlift or a faster 2k, not really, not for most of us. The goal is to understand how to change. To be capable of the long game. To be in control. The goal is to practice forming and executing a plan. The goal is to be able to differentiate signal from noise, to work through minor setbacks and lulls in motivation.
The work is a practice, a method of evocation. The focus, the short term goal – is a variable. It is transient and ephemeral. It exists almost solely as a set piece, a whetstone in which to hone our tools. To allow us the space and a reason to understand and form a style. something unique and defining. something deliberate and wholly our own.
The goal, the true goal, is to understand ourselves. To control ourselves. To become truly ourselves.
Not simply accomplished – but unique.
Not just effective, but deliberate.
To have vision – and the ability to execute it.
To have style, regardless of the substance.
“…To be truthful, I hadn’t expected such good form from you. Most people of your age and class are so wrapped up in themselves – so concerned with what they’re ‘into’ – that they fail to realize that style and form are everything, and substance a passing myth.” He opened his eyes and smiled as he made a pallid effort to imitate the American accent: “It ain’t what you do, it’s how you do it.”
– Trevanian
from the Bookmark Dofollow blog
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