“I did what was required.”
That’s a sure path to . . . mediocrity. If you want to be just another face in CrossFit or in life, do only what’s required. Do no more. Never go an extra step, an extra rep, an extra round, an extra second.
Never, ever stand out from the crowd or distinguish yourself in any way. Just do the minimum.
Do exactly what’s required. And no more.
And, please, justify your actions. I’m tired. I didn’t get enough sleep. I’m not Zoning. My shoulder hurts. My leg hurts. My right gluteas medial oblongotus flux capacitor hurts.
Do what you can safely live with in your conscience. Just the amount of effort that pushes you over the border into “See, I tried.”
And then you can live with the consequences, I suppose. You can put the blame off yourself and toss it onto someone or something else. It wasn’t you that failed after all. You tried. The reason you failed was your genes. Or that bar. Or the workout. Or CrossFit. Or your coach. Or your father. Or your girlfriend. Or whatever. Just as long as it’s not you. Because, after all, you tried.
And that should work. As long as your conscience doesn’t tap on your shoulder. Or wake you up at night. Or live right now somewhere in the back of your mind, wondering what would have happened — how you would feel — if you had gone a little bit harder, been a little bit stronger, got an extra round, done the right thing . . .
The CrossFit Conscience. It haunts some of us. Do you have it?
