It has been a good 1 year and 9 months since I entered ULC. 3 local, 1 overseas competition and 4 overseas trips later, I must say this has been a fulfilling period for me so far, and I'm physically, mentally and emotionally better than when I first matriculated. I would like to share with you all a few lessons I feel is important for everyone.
Before and after each competition, and for this Invitationals, I always tell myself that events like this are hard to come by. You know if you make or break under pressure, you see your training (through the whole year, if any) culminating in that few minutes in your own race, and either disappointment or motivation will emerge at the end of it.
What differentiates individuals is not what actually happens during the Invitationals, but how they react to these situations.
If you broke down under pressure, that is okay. What do you do next? Mull about it, or find out how not to repeat this again?
If you were good under pressure and won, what will your response be? "Thank you, I trained hard" or "Thanks, there is still room for improvement".
If you trained hard and lost, do you go "I trained so hard, also cannot win, why should I continue" or do you go "what can I do better?".
When you lose, do you go "dang missed it by 5 points/0.5 seconds" or do you go "Every point/second counts, and I'm training with this 5 points/0.5 seconds at the back of my mind for the next year".
And the list goes on.
Yes, the pursuit of excellence is never-ending. In fact, it was meant to be this way! Excellence is to keep improving no matter where you are, good or bad, and not just about winning. It is a state of mind that requires constant change, adapting to and of course, sacrifice. Whatever the result is, it is never enough. Keep in mind that the forgoing of a present want for a future result is a tough decision to make, and until that choice is made, the personal result will never be as sweet.
With each new PB, the effort to surpass it requires even more effort that before (diminishing returns). This is where working smart comes in. Let me first clear a misconception by saying that working smart doesn't mean you work less to achieve the same result. Rather, you focus your work to achieve more, and you work harder that before for it.
Resting is also essential. We are all humans and we need rest, so take a break if you need it.
Let me lastly state that although I have used lifesaving as an example here, this applies to all aspects of life. It can be studies, work, family etc. I hope that for all past, present and future members of ULC, Lifesaving has taught you uesful lessons in one way or another.
Seek excellence. Work smart. And rest well!
Weiqing.
Before and after each competition, and for this Invitationals, I always tell myself that events like this are hard to come by. You know if you make or break under pressure, you see your training (through the whole year, if any) culminating in that few minutes in your own race, and either disappointment or motivation will emerge at the end of it.
What differentiates individuals is not what actually happens during the Invitationals, but how they react to these situations.
If you broke down under pressure, that is okay. What do you do next? Mull about it, or find out how not to repeat this again?
If you were good under pressure and won, what will your response be? "Thank you, I trained hard" or "Thanks, there is still room for improvement".
If you trained hard and lost, do you go "I trained so hard, also cannot win, why should I continue" or do you go "what can I do better?".
When you lose, do you go "dang missed it by 5 points/0.5 seconds" or do you go "Every point/second counts, and I'm training with this 5 points/0.5 seconds at the back of my mind for the next year".
And the list goes on.
Yes, the pursuit of excellence is never-ending. In fact, it was meant to be this way! Excellence is to keep improving no matter where you are, good or bad, and not just about winning. It is a state of mind that requires constant change, adapting to and of course, sacrifice. Whatever the result is, it is never enough. Keep in mind that the forgoing of a present want for a future result is a tough decision to make, and until that choice is made, the personal result will never be as sweet.
With each new PB, the effort to surpass it requires even more effort that before (diminishing returns). This is where working smart comes in. Let me first clear a misconception by saying that working smart doesn't mean you work less to achieve the same result. Rather, you focus your work to achieve more, and you work harder that before for it.
Resting is also essential. We are all humans and we need rest, so take a break if you need it.
Let me lastly state that although I have used lifesaving as an example here, this applies to all aspects of life. It can be studies, work, family etc. I hope that for all past, present and future members of ULC, Lifesaving has taught you uesful lessons in one way or another.
Seek excellence. Work smart. And rest well!
Weiqing.
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