A Starting Line Perspective - Again

Have you ever hit a mental wall that seemed to just knock your brains out? Unlike colliding with a physical wall that jars your body with pain and lingering aches, a collision with a mental wall tends to sap your energy and passion. Here is a short list of some symptoms that you may have hit a mental wall:

Sleeplessness. This might be self induced as you stay up late watching television, plunking on a keyboard, or some other mindless occupier of time. It might also come as the result of a change of diet. Sugar or caffeine highs that buzz through your brain to steal the rest needed for mental recovery.

Loss of Passion. The reality phenom Survivor is in its twentieth season. One recurring challenge is the variation on the endurance game. Competitors that press on to the end are driven to do by either a drive for the prize or fear that without immunity they will be the next victim tribal counsel. Do you feel a loss of passion of late? Can't seem to force yourself to get back to that script? Art work? Technical writing or white paper? Dude, you hit a mental wall.

Powerlessness. King Solomon is attributed with the proverb "hope deferred makes the heart sick." Change the word sick for weak and you have the root of powerlessness -- hope prolonged from delivery. There is a direct correlation between the length of time it takes to turn your actions into a reward and rebound.

In competitive sports there is a common phrase for the failing to progress. It is called "hitting the wall." The wall is that mental or physical barrier that is set just before the finish line, goal, or record to break. Breaking through that wall may seem a minor feat. Unless you want to brand yourself as a standout.

The difference between winning a race and breaking a record is milliseconds. Maxie Long won the 400m in the 1900 Olympics with a winning time of 47.8 seconds. The best 400m time was run by Michael Johnson in 1999 at 43.18 seconds. A difference of 4.62 seconds. You can credit equipment, training, diet or whatever for the new record. But after a 99 years, winning runners were only able to shave about 4 to 5 seconds from Long's time.

For weeks now I have languished in a sense of powerlessness. I lost sleep because I allowed mindless things to occupy my attention. My passion has suffered. I lost ground (and gained pounds) with my exercise regimen, have not written on my scripts for months, and let my blog lay dormant for nearly a month. BAM! A mental wall. All the aches and pains of crashing into a brick wall are evidenced by the bruises in attitude, will, and creative energy.

What to do? Do like any athlete does that wants to be better or be the best. You figure out what you can to perform more efficiently and get back to the starting line. Looking down at that starting line may get old as you stare down at the goals in front of you for the umpteenth time. But you will never win your race unless you are willing to shake the sense of powerlessness that accompanies a collision with the wall inside your head.