Doing the work and getting the job done…
I’ve heard the phrase, “he did the work and got the job done” way too many times since I started my triathlon journey. I recently saw a post on Facebook that said he “put in the time and got the job done.” What does this mean?
It seems to correlate to the podium. Whenever I read this, and I do see it often, it relates to someone who won their age group or division.
When I read this, I stop and wonder — so if I put in the time (which I do) and get the job done (which I do), then I should podium (which I don’t)? So, what am I doing wrong?
When I had my first few competitions, I was happy to complete the task at hand. I didn’t care about time. I cared that I was out there doing it. (And, I still feel that way.) However, after a point, when you see these posts on Facebook, you often tend to step back and think, “hey wait, I put in the time and I did the work, how come I’m not podium material?”
Let’s decompress for a moment… Does everyone have the ability to reach the top? This “athletic” stuff seems so much easier for some than it does for others. For me, this stuff isn’t at all natural. Sometimes I feel like I have to do twice as much as everyone else just to be able to compete and FINISH a competition.
I’m not alone. If this resonates with you then you know what I’m talking about.
Some people are naturally athletic. Those are the folks that excelled in gym and were not only the “jocks” in High School but they were also the “cool kids.” Ha… that wasn’t me!
My friends and family say they can’t believe that I like this sport. Ha… my friends and family are surprised that I do anything active at all. Because that’s not who I was for most of my life.
So when I hear the term, “she did the work and got it done,” it bothers me.
I know there are other people out there like me who put in the work and try to get it done but they never do. Wait a minute… maybe by just doing what we do, we “do the work and get the job done.” And then in that case, aren’t we all winners?
