Commitment is a thrilling experience. Every time you commit to something, you’re announcing to the world: “I’m going to do this thing, whether you like it or not.” Meanwhile, if you’re like me, you’re thinking: I sure hope that wasn’t the wrong thing to do. Put together, this makes for an excited-nervous feeling in your stomach. But it also really motivates you to do the best you can, so that your fears prove groundless. In most cases everything does work out fine, even if not perfectly according to your plan. That is good, because that keeps me coming back for more.
Without those successes, I would never have asked a girl out. I would never have hiked across the Grand Canyon. I would never have asked my wife to marry me. I would never have met some of the people I most respect. I would never have driven cross country. And I wouldn’t have clicked the Register button for the Strawberry Fields Triathlon on Monday.
Clicking that button was more of a thrill than I thought it would be. I’m both nervous and excited. I don’t know why it makes me nervous. The worst thing that could happen is that my knee/back injury come back to bite me. That would piss me off, but I don’t really fear it. I can tell you what makes me excited: It’ll give me something concrete to train for. I’ll actually get to be a triathlete, instead of vicariously being one. I’ll get to cross another finish line. And you can’t beat fresh strawberries. It should be a great experience.