3.14.22

Jon Gold, M.A | Go 4 Gold

Benefits vs. Drawbacks 

I was recently recommended for PT by Urgent Care due to an injury to my patella. I have prolonged PT for the last two weeks. I’m being stubborn thinking that ice and Advil will solve the problem. It’s  helped, but the pain is not improving. Excuses are easy to come by “I don’t have a lot of time, I don’t want to” etc. I’ve been making these excuses because it’s a challenge. I’ve been thinking about what I have to lose… Free time. 

I value my free time, and quite frankly I need my weekends so that I can be my best for myself, clients, family and friends. My mindset shifted the evening of 3/3/22 when Kayla asked me how my knee was.  I told her not great, not getting better.  To that she told me I need to call PT. 

Kayla is someone who tells me how it is and that’s what I really need from a life partner. She’s probably the only one who can be that person for me in all honesty. I responded to Kayla by asking when am I supposed to do that while working the equivalent to 2.5/3 jobs? 

Here’s our dialogue from that point on:

Kayla: Jon, they have weekend openings. 

Me: I don’t want to do something hard on the weekends *half-jokingly* 

Kayla: Chuckles *understandingly and at the same time mockingly*

Me: ….

At this moment I realized I was focusing on the drawbacks and not the benefits. By focusing on what’s to gain by sacrificing an hour a week for PT I was driven to  jump in and take action.  

Benefits: 

• Pain relief
• Increased mobility 
• Work outs such as lower body cardio 
• Value of personal wellness
• Values of adaptability and openness
• Self-care ✔️

Lessons learned:  

1. Something meaningful and worthwhile isn’t always going to be easy. Hard ≠ bad 
2. Challenges may be opportunities hidden underneath unpleasant emotions
3. Emotions are just emotions until you give them meaning and energy
4. What you perceive is what you receive
5. It’s easier to tap into compassionate understanding and gratitude when focusing on what you have/ what’s to gain instead of what you don’t have/ what’s lost  
6. Identify the people who you can count on to help hold you accountable

Challenge:  

1. 1. Journal on how your perspective and mindset shifts in performance by focusing on the benefits rather than the drawbacks 
   2. Do any of these six lessons learned resonate with you? If so explore that and write down how and why. 

Be well,

Jon Gold

About the Author: https://go4gold.net/about/

For more of Jon’s blogs and articles please visit https://go4gold.net/blog/

For more information and/or to work with Jon on your mental game and HOW to be list: https://go4gold.net

For more information visit https://go4gold.net