The Challenge

Two weeks ago I was in my gym and a woman who worked there walked up to me and asked, "Have you accepted The Challenge?"

"What is The Challenge?" I replied back.

Then she informed me that our gym had organized a promotion to help people lose weight. She said the reason was because most people pack on the pounds during this time of year. The Challenge is designed to help stop folks from doing that and motivate them to do the opposite.  At the end of ten weeks, the person who loses the most weight, combined with body fat, wins $500. There are prizes for second and third place too.

I signed up to take The Challenge. I have about ten solid pounds that I've been wanting off my body for some time now. I thought this was a great incentive! I figured, even if I don't win the money, I will be a winner without an extra ten pounds on my body. After I signed up, she put me on the most newfangled scale I have ever seen. There were footprints that depicted where to stand, and finger marks for where I had to put my hands. Then out popped a computer print out of more information than I probably needed to know. Now I am on my honor until January, when we all have to weigh in again to determine the winners.

I am three weeks in. This is my third week of keeping track of my intake, exercise schedule, and weight, and I am delighted to report that I have lost enough weight to be on track for the ten pounds. The problem is my resolve is a little diminished. I still want to win, but I don't feel like my drive is as strong as it was in the beginning. It feels like I am slipping a little, and I am doubting that I can do it.

I figure it might be a bit like one of the Seahawks waking up this morning after a long plane flight home from Kansas City. It looked like the Hawks were back on track... until yesterday, when we lost to the Chiefs. Three weeks into a really good run, and now we are bewildered. Even worse, we entertain the negativity that causes us to doubt we have what it takes to win this thing. We notice those same old insecurities, mistakes, and injuries start to creep back into our game. We struggle a little, get caught up in the doubter's mentality, and lose sight of our goal. We lose just enough of our mental toughness to allow ourselves to slip a little.

But the truth is there are over six weeks left to forge ahead and continue this challenge, and that IS enough time to get the job done. We are not out of this. It is simply time to dig deep and bring ourselves back to that place when we believed. Time to be tough. Time to work harder. Time to prove to OURSELVES that WE are the ones to contend with.