| Just the other day I was pondering my effort in a recent workout. I realized I had not given my best performance and that led me to think about the different ways we cheat ourselves. Have you ever been in a situation in which you were competing, whether real or implied and just cut the event short to win? For example, if you do group-style workouts like CrossFit or Group Personal Training, sometimes they are “at your own pace” but designed to inspire you to challenge yourself to your best. In my case, I do better when I choose a “rabbit” to chase. I look for someone in my group workout that is in better shape than I am. This is the person I set as my rabbit. When I choose a rabbit to chase only to find out they are cutting the workout short, it disappoints me. I am not disappointed in myself, but for them. The question is…are they cheating or taking a shortcut? I think these two verbs can be interchanged…one has more of a negative tone than the other, but they really lead to the same outcome. When you cheat on anything, you are only cheating yourself. There are so many ways to cheat in life. You can cheat in school, but this only hurts your future potential and depth of knowledge. You can cheat the government by not paying taxes. This only hurts the world around you because there are not enough funds to adequately fund schools, road construction, and other worthwhile endeavors. When you cheat your workouts, you cheat your forward fitness progress. When you cheat on a diet, you cheat your health. Sometimes shortcuts are taken in order to get to a goal faster. For example, a starvation diet in order to win a weight loss contest. This is not sustainable and is not sticking to the nature of the contest. Shortcuts and cheats rarely lead to long-term success. The next time you are tempted to cheat, shortcut or not give it your best, consider where you will be in several months if you do that each time. What are your goals? Do you want to be successful? Successful people understand the long road is the road to sustainability and long-term success. Keep in mind that you are setting an example for those around you. If you have kids, you are showing them it is okay to cut corners. Stephen Covey said “The more people rationalize cheating, the more it becomes a culture of dishonesty. And that can become a vicious, downward cycle. Because suddenly, if everyone else is cheating, you feel a need to cheat, too.” Start breaking the cycle today. Be true to yourself. Be true to those around you. Don’t take unnecessary shortcuts. They will just lead to you having to do the work right the second time around. Not cheating may be the more difficult road, but it is the more rewarding way. Scott Alexander, a writer/producer/director stated the following “All good is hard. All evil is easy. Dying, losing, cheating, and mediocrity are easy. Stay away from easy.” Try hard, do your best. Failing with honor is better than cheating and winning. |
Radley West 