Be the Gatorade

“Do it again. Play it again. Sing it again. Read it again. Write it again. Sketch it again. Rehearse it again. Run it again. Try it again. Because again is practice and practice is an improvement.” - Richelle E. Goodrich

One of the problems with American society is our fear of the word which defines this quote. Again. Actually with this generation sometimes doing it the first time is a struggle is enough of its own, but heaven forbid anyone actually manage to get that much done, there’s a kind of entitlement which suggests, “why bother again?” I did it. I’m done. Where’s my trophy? Next thing. We seek to get “done,” but not to actually accomplish anything except check the boxes and keep going.

This is a direct product of the mantra that western society worships: you need more, you need to be doing more. This week, I said, “I’m done being a lazy bum. I’m going to get all the things on this here to do list done.” The list featured studying for upcoming finals, journaling, finishing my book, knocking out a few hours of piano, Face-timing Halle, and the list goes on. Good things that I wanted to do. And I actually worked really hard during the week and ended up checking off a very significant portion of things despite being exhausted from extra curriculars and not always getting enough sleep to carry myself through the day. But you know what I found? Albeit more gratifying than doing nothing at all, the “more mantra” isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be.

Hear me out: this isn’t a call to laziness. It’s a call to focussed attention and working hard at the things that matter. I think for kids today there is so much pressure to do so many things that they struggle to really find themselves with their passion. It’s good to try new things. I did basketball this year even though I’ve never tried to be athletic and never claimed to be, and I had a great time. Try new things, but don’t try so many that life is an unmanageable mess. When you overbook yourself, you are not available to dedicate yourself to things worth practicing.

Sometimes this means making difficult, or even ennoble choices. There’s a college course available to freshman next year called AP Human Geography. Maybe it’s the noble thing to take the class, but it’s a lot of work and it doesn’t concern my future much, so I’m thinking: “Why bother?” Sometimes, when it’s not a priority it means skipping it or doing enough to get by so that focus can be on a smaller number of things. If we each excel in one category we will do much better than a bunch of mediocre at best people in many trades.

That leaves us with the list of things we’ve chosen to put a focussed attention on. For me? Piano, my writing, and keeping up decent grades as well as walking with the Lord and growing in relationship to him. I don’t view any of these goals, or subgoals that fall under the broader categories as checkboxes. I’m never done. Whatever it may be for you, you’re never done. Stop living life as a category of checkboxes. I can’t think of anything less gratifying than living a life and smiling because you filled all the boxes. You should be in a constant pursuit of excellence not meeting a standard or doing the important things well enough.

There’s a fine line between what constitutes ordinary and what is extraordinary. There’s a Gatorade commercial which depicts this idea. You think you’re the only one who is up at five o’clock to get a workout in? You think you’re the only one with talent? It ventures to make the claim that Gatorade provides you with a little extra to make extraordinary athletes. In reality, you’ve got to provide the little extra. You have to be the Gatorade.

You aren’t the only one to work long hours, or have an aptitude for something. Talent is the cheapest thing there is. What separates the ordinary from the extraordinary are those who didn’t stop at good. Kids especially, if you’re happy with good enough, or even good, that says a lot about your character. Talent IS NOT extraordinary. Work ethic and a desire to do it again and again and again and again and again and again is what makes something extraordinary. If you can live with being another good basketball player, another smart student, talented thespian I can’t help you. But for me? I’m not happy until I have at least tried to do something remarkable. But hey, if once is enough, if decidedly mediocre is what you want your short-lived legacy to read… more power to ya I guess.