Unfortunately, rough days stumble into everyone’s path; from the days we want to stay in bed, to the days where all motivation has escaped our person.  Being able to overcome that nagging feeling to take a day off or rest every time we feel the slightest bit of adversity, will be key in reaching or surpassing our goals.

There are days every week that I get home from eight hours of class, extremely tired from pushing my chair around Weber State’s hilly campus. The feeling is similar to the feeling after a long day at work. On these days I want nothing more than to eat a fast easy meal (Wendy’s dollar menu is my favorite) and sit on the couch and watch TV. However, falling to the influence of those feelings will not move me any closer to my goal; in fact, it will move me in the opposite direction.

I have found that instant gratification is a killer. Many things that are instantly gratifying put the wheels of success in reverse. Just sitting on the couch because I do not feel like riding my bike will be instantly gratifying. However, sitting on the couch after overcoming that nagging feeling to be lazy and a difficult hand cycle ride is much more gratifying, and it comes with a feeling of success. Upon finishing my hand cycle routine the lazy feeling goes away and my confidence rise because I’m moving closer towards my goal. Not succumbing to the evil force of instant gratification reinforces our ability to do the same in the future. It is similar to lifting weight; the more one lifts heavy weights the easier it becomes and the less soreness they will feel. The more we can focus on the end result and make the more difficult decision to avoid instant gratification the easier it will become!

Being able to make the decision to get on my hands cycle on these days of difficulty will not only allow me to push forward at a steady rate, it will make it easier to push those feelings aside next time they arise.