Maybe seven years ago, I wrote a blog post about failing for a crossfit gym. Here is the cliffs notes version: one of the best things I think powerlifting teaches is how to fail:
- How to safely fail – bailing out of a squat or lift
- How to rally from a fail – just because you failed six minutes ago doesn’t mean you’ll fail the next lift
- How to finish a fail – when to walk away
- How to not give an f about a fail – and say better luck tomorrow
This week, I failed on the third rep of a 3RM (rep max) power clean. As you do in lifting, it was 5# heavier than it was last week, and it was FUN. I wanted that third rep and fought for it, but today wasn’t the day. I was still thrilled just to get the 2 reps.
I went bouldering with my brother and am trying to learn a new skill—hanging basically horizontal to the ground and moving a hand up. LOLZ! As I practiced the move on a route at the gym, I fell. And fell. And fell and fell and fell and tried it on a different route and fell and fell again. But that’s how you learn the moves!
For a perfectionist (aherm), it can be hard to accept failure as part of life’s path. It’s extremely hard not to think I could have-should have-it would have-been different/better/safe/successful if I had. Thankfully, the acceptance can be found in my happy place, my flow state, my ease with sports and athletics: how much I have to learn from myself there. If it’s not only SAFE but GOOD and GROWING to fall and fail in athletics, why wouldn’t it be in life too? I take the beta I learned from falling in climbing and make the next attempt better. I take the reps lifting and allow them to inform the next lift. And so, love. Relationships. Career. Advocating for myself.
As it turns out, those are reps too. Those are beta too. Life is just a bouldering route or 3RM attempt.
I am grateful for sports, obviously. BFree’s Self-Love Challenge. Yoga 4x this week. Big changes at work. Travel by Jen jokes. How many times I saw the meme below. A housewarming that resulted in a very warm house. Couch time. An old soul new friend 29.5. Central Market. A windy workout. Porch sittin’. Spring weather. A doggie cigar. That doggie. Unexpected friend meetups. 7am meetings (jk not grateful for those except that they’re important and I am grateful to be included in important meetings(?)). Art. Expression. Ownership. Advocacy.
YOU! Blog readers, I am grateful for you. I am grateful to have a long-running place to share and recalibrate, and that you continue to read, support, and love me. Thank you.