Limitless Monday – Train For Something

Limitless Monday – Train for something

I was sitting at my local bar last weekend enjoying a Stella and occasionally looking up to watch a New York Rangers ice hockey game. It got me thinking… Maybe I could have been a professional ice hockey player in my youth. The action, the training, not to mention the money and the adulation.

Was this a missed opportunity? I pondered. The fact is I tried my hand at many sports when I was younger. Most of them, like soccer for instance, I had neither interest nor coordination. My father instilled in me the benefits of individual sports as opposed to team sports. That thinking probably ruled out ice hockey. My focus was on tennis and martial arts. Realizing I was never going to be great at either of these activities, I turned my attention to the one area I knew I had a natural talent for: making money.

As I sat there trying to avoid the attention of the large lady on the bar stool to my right, I concluded that being a professional sportsman of any kind was never a realistic possibility. The bartender then changed the channel to UFC.

Watching the fighters square off, attack, defend, twist and turn, while using every muscle in their bodies, testing their reactions and skills in order to gain the upper hand, I realized my earlier conclusion may have been slightly off the mark.

We don’t need to strive to be professional sports people. Instead we must strive to maximize our physical potential. We reach our physical peak in our early thirties and then decline. However, it’s never too late to begin a sport; the earlier we start the better. There is a finite window of opportunity. Once that window closes, it never reopens. It’s a regret that we can and should avoid as we all possess a competitive spirit that requires stimulation.

Participation in a sport is beneficial for both your fitness and overall health and well-being. It gives you something to train for when visiting the gym. It provides you with purpose.

Mark Zuckerberg, not one of my favorite people, was a computer nerd who led an unhealthy life surviving on fast food and minimal sleep driven by the desire to stand out from the jocks at his college. Jocks such as the Winklevoss twins. That he did. But that wasn’t enough for Zuck. He wanted to maximize his physical as well as his financial potential. With that objective in mind, he took up Brazilian Jiu-jitsu at age 38. He has reached both financial and physical peak condition. He can now both kick your ass and outspend you.

We must take a leaf out of Zucks’s book. We should all maximize our physical and mental potential. We may not be destined for basketball greatness, but if you enjoy the game, aim to at least become proficient at it. If you have always wanted to be able to defend yourself, start BJJ.

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A very good friend of mine who happens to be 56 years old has always had an interest in martial arts. He has dabbled a little over the years, but his focus has been on the gym and his successful law practice. He is in good physical shape and is a disciplined gym goer. However, he has a twinkle in his eye for something else, a sparkle which still burns bright. Going to the gym is important. It’s in fact essential even if you are practicing a sport. However, unless you have something you are training for it can be tedious. Train for something. That, my friends, is the title of today’s article.

Find a sport you have always wanted to try. If you don’t have anything in mind, start researching. It could be ice hockey, BJJ, Judo, boxing, basketball, sailing, even kitesurfing.

Your new sport will provide your trips to the gym with purpose, adding more flavor to your life.

Let’s go, don’t delay. Time is ticking!

Happy Monday!

Banner Image: Kickboxing. Image Credit – Solal Ohayon

Harry Maximillian

Harry is an author, coach, entrepreneur, comedian and a convicted felon. Harry was sent to prison for a financial crime where he spent five long years. Prison allowed Harry to realize the error of his ways. He decided to use his time productively and mobilize his extraordinary determination, dedication, drive, motivation and desire to focus on writing and the art of self-improvement. Before Harry’s enforced vacation he was one of the most prolific deal makers in the City of London.