Champion the Journey
Not the Destination

By Phil Stevens

Of course you might say, or I hope most of you say. We all know that progress is earned not simply imparted on us from above. In order to make any appreciable progress (advancement of skill, physique, family relations, etc.) we know we must put forth work, work toward a goal is how we earn progress.

When you see Tiger Woods win another tournament, Donald Trump earn more millions, or me deadlift a 725lb DL PR (http://br.st/0FA) we all should be in awe, yes, but not so much of the act itself we just witnessed, but of what it took to earn that performance, or product. It was the actions, the steps that led up to that act we should admire, and aspire to emulate. The hours, weeks, months, and years of slaving away happily at our tasks, our week area’s, our goals. The dedicated practice.

The reason the amazing feats look so effortless to those who achieve them is not due to some god given gift. It’s due our endless laboring, and chipping away at the mountain that is our self defined greatness we seek, seek for us. The joy we find in ever pushing our boundaries, our accomplishments. Being celebratory of our victories, but never content. Never under the false realization that our performance has reached its pinnacle, perfection. We always happily labor forth, loving the sweat, blood and tears it will take to reach that next step. We earn progress, a step at a time up a long flight of stairs. We strive perfection and yet relish in that fact it can never be reached and MORE is always possible. That fact keeps our blood flowing, and our hearts yearning for more.

We take an Intuitive Periodization format to life, goals, all our actions you see it in all the best athletes, the best thinkers, workers, lifters and business men and women. They have the maturity to earn there stripe not only for the triumph, but on a daily basis. They have the knowledge and maturity to know that it’s a what have you done for me lately world. What they achieved yesterday yes helps lead to greater thing tomorrow or next year but it doesn’t give them a right to anything. You have to earn that dollar every day. Earn that load each and everyday. From set to set rep to rep.

The minute you try and live on your laurels you're done. Yes I deadlifted 725 ten days ago, but that gives me NO right to 725 today, not 700, not even 600. I must earn that load by owning the previous loads each and every day on the platform, and have the maturity to know when to walk away. I have to have the knowledge to program and set my goals high, keeping my eyes on the peak, but knowing it’s a long and winding road and some days you just punch the clock.

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Plan, map, have HIGH aspirations, high long and short term goal and DO, strive all you can to push yourself to reach all of them. Though, also have the passion and fire to strive further. Ability to break from the plan and strike when the iron is hot, but also the maturity to no every day wont be your best, or even par, and no matter if you give your all that’s just not going to happen today. Shoot to reach your daily goal but have the plan set ahead for walking away and what to do if that happens on a consistent basis. To end this that could, and possibly should, be fleshed much further. I will leave you with the few things that I feel are the main ingredients of athletic, or most probably life successes as a whole. The realization and joy in the fact that this is a long never ending journey in reach of an impossible perfection, and the maturity to earn your progress on a daily basis. To take an athletic, positive mind set. Seek progression, not pain. Add more load, more work, more love, when you kick the old loads ass, not when the current load no longer kicks yours.

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About The Author

Phil, while attaining both his Bachelors and Masters degrees in studio art found another passion, that of training and nutrition. A constant student, his real-world under-the-barbell and behind-the-fork approach has led to many an opportunity, experience, and change in his life as well as those he has worked. Phil currently, aside from his varied work with Team Staley, is a working and showing artist (http://www.philstevens.com). His current personal fitness goals are to become a competitive force as middleweight strongman competitor, while building upon his power lifting experience in which he has seen as high as a top ten national ranking; with a two year goal of obtaining an elite ranking as a 242 or 275lb weight class RAW power lifter.

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