I'm too introspective

I got to thinking (pretty standard) on the ride home from Ann Arbor after homecoming and remembered one day during high school hockey practice when our sports psychologist gave us a little talk. Yes we had a sports psychologist...kinda crazy when you think about it. But there was one thing he said after our practices had been a little dull and unfocused that I still remember. He said if you're comfortable with everything you're doing, you're not getting better. Having a comfort zone can be a good thing, but it can also be pretty detremental to your personal growth. If you keep going back to what's comfortable, you won't be very successful in anything you choose to do.

I kinda got to thinking about it after going back to A2 for the first time since graduation. I am a pretty introspective person, a lot of which I had to do when I started playing poker. If you're not critical of yourself and your play, you won't ever get much better. But I started thinking about how things have been the past five years or so, and I realized I slipped into that comfort zone way too much. Being in A2 didn't help, and as much as I love the school, going to Michigan may have been one of the worst decisions I've made on a personal level. If I knew how to handle the situation differently it would have been fine, but honestly, I didn't.

Since I came to Chicago I've learned a lot about myself. In the process, I've had quite a few moments where I was pretty nervous about doing whatever I wanted/needed to do. But I did what I had to and what do you know, I'm still here. Life didn't end, the world didn't stop spinning, nobody laughed at me (that I know of...). No kidding Brian, it's about time you figured that out.

So my new goal is now to make my life as uncomfortable as possible. Yes you read that right. I want to have moments where I think "I don't want to do this" and "What will people think of me?" Expand my comfort zone. If I do this enough, I won't have this reaction. So it's time to start over more or less. One thing I've decided to do is run the Chicago Marathon next year. It's a ways away, but I'm excited already. Training won't start til early June, but if you're interested in doing it with me, drop me a line. Can't wait.