The New Standard
Many of us reading this may no longer be in what we consider to be “our prime.” We perhaps cannot take refuge in the promise that our highest-performing years are ahead of us and that we are working toward them. Rather, time has passed, and a new version of ourselves is now present. Many professional athletes struggle with this reality. Who are you when you can no longer be defined by the thing you once excelled at? What is left? How do you stop the feeling of “Well, I’ll never be that good again, so what’s the point?”
The shift must happen. We have to move away from thinking about the person we can’t be anymore and focus on the person we could become in the future. Armed with the experience, knowledge, awareness, and growth of the past, our power now exists in a different realm. Though it may not present “glory” in the sense of “winning,” there is something far more powerful at play—something far more nourishing.
My new standards may not have the extremes of 2012, but they are by no means a surrender to the clock. They represent a calculated and essential pursuit to uphold health, focus, drive, and ability. They bring me both joy and accountability. They place me firmly and consciously in the role I need to occupy right now, both mentally and physically. They present balance and intelligence as I work to maintain and improve muscle, mechanics, and mobility. This new standard exists so that I can thrive for years to come—for myself, for my family, and for all those I might positively influence along the way.
Our own “hero’s” journey was never about the result but about who we became along the way. The trophies matter less than the character built. The medals are less significant than the inspiration given. The position on the leaderboard is less important than the hope created. We find that our happiness comes not from what we did for ourselves but from the effect we had on the world around us—the positive energy we generated and the spirits we uplifted. That fact is not tied exclusively to being the best at something but to how we behaved in the pursuit of something: how we carried the torch, how we held the hand of the next person, how we sacrificed for a greater cause, and how we gave in service rather than took in selfishness.
Our minds now should not be focused on being the best we have ever been but on being the best version of ourselves right now. Time, for most of us, allows us to shed ego and embrace humility. This enables us to set a better example and thus create a healthier environment. Our cause then has the potential to improve not just the integrity of our own thoughts and actions but also to impact our greater community—a promise far more powerful than our own singular reward.
Personal challenge is hugely valuable, and I would argue essential for growth. It is opportunity. Some challenges come at us without preparation, and some we create for ourselves. Both serve their purpose. So, as age forces us into the next chapter, we must start seeing it not as decline but as evolution—not as the decaying of skin but as the shedding of an old one. Your future has immense potential; you have to believe that. Chase that belief with hunger and build each day toward a new vision. It won’t be what it once was, but I would be willing to bet those years of discovery can carve out something very special.
See you in the gym.
PV