Dunking Seems Miles Away

Well, I’m still at it. If you read this blog regularly, you might recall that I set a crazy goal right after my 59th birthday, back in February, to dunk the basketball by my 60th. I have 6 months left…

And it isn’t going well.

What I Forgot…

I guess I neglected to consider that after 40-something you begin to lose your quick-twitch muscles, which is a “must” for explosive jumping. You also lose any kind of glute power and your hamstrings begin to atrophy. All bad trends if vertical leap is the goal.

So, my miscalculation is now apparent.

So what should I do? Quit? Keep going? Change the routine? Set a more realistic goal?

Not sure…but here’s my thinking. I would love your input.

1. This goal is really cool to me. It’s measurable. It’s weird, I can tell when I reveal the goal to people and they say, “Well, there you go,” as if I’m a little child again, I know I’m on to something special. It’s just that they can’t fathom it…or appreciate it. And it’s a huge stretch. All good characteristics for a goal.

2. I’ve hit a plateau. We all hit plateaus, don’t we? Whether it’s income, fitness, diet, customer acquisition, or business planning there comes a time when we level off. Our life is never a straight line up and to the right. Never. Setbacks. Injuries. Lack of motivation. All killers.

3. Take feedback from the Universe.  As a coach, I’m always counseling people to use Universal feedback as a learning point. If the customer isn’t buying from you, sure, you can blame them. That’s easy. But it isn’t helpful if you’re to improve your results. There must be something you’re doing that isn’t right. That’s the case with my mission. Perhaps my routine isn’t proper. Perhaps I’m just not working hard enough. Perhaps I haven’t given it a fair chance to work yet.

4. Plenty of side benefits. My legs are getting stronger. I am jumping better. I feel more stable and agile on my feet. My knee pain is gone. So even if I don’t make it, physically, I will have improved myself. “Reach for the stars and you might get the moon.”

5. OK….I just talked myself into continuing.  Thanks for listening. Why would I quit? What kind of a performance coach would I be if I just gave up? Plus, once one gives up on certain goals, I believe your mind allows you to give up on others. Not a good trend.

Well, thanks for listening. I’m re-engaged with this goal. I’ll Keep working at it and take another month and see if my vertical improves. If it does, I’ll keep doing it and If it doesn’t, I’ll rework the routine.

Thanks…I feel better. Onward and “upward!”