When I was writing last week's post, I couldn't quite put my finger on why it sounded so dogmatic and narrow-minded, despite my efforts to ease off a bit. Thanks to Mike's comment and some reflection, I think I figured it out. It sounded off to my ears because I completely left out the "why." (Ironic, considering I spent most of the last 4 years writing papers based on the question "Why?".)
Guess I wasn't too far off base when I said that I might be projecting my own experience onto the matter. I was, but not the whole experience. See, I'm the type of person who gives a lot of thought to things I consider serious (i.e., buying a car, future career, faith/spiritual matters, etc.), and once I decide something, I tend to forget all the work I put into getting there. I simply move on with that decision and don't look back, hence the mindset in my previous post. It may or may not be the best way to go through the decision-making process, but it's my default. Anyway, the important thing about it is that there is a period of time - sometimes long, sometimes short - when I analyze everything, weigh my options and the what-ifs, and try to pinpoint why the matter is important and why I should or should not decide this or that.
The Why is very important. If you know why you're doing something, then you can remind yourself of it when things get tough - it gives you determination and strengthens resolve. If you understand why you're doing something, that usually makes it more meaningful than acting blindly, too.
Why do you eat? Why do you exercise? Why do you do the job you do? Why do you train?
Think about it. If you've already thought about it in the past, take a minute to remind yourself of the conclusions you came to.
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