Becoming A Pro

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you choose to do for the rest of your life? 

For some, it may be an easy answer. You always hear about the kids who want to do nothing but “play doctor” when they are young and then go on to graduate from medical school without ever looking back. For most however, this question proves to be more thought provoking. As a society, we have established a pattern of seeking a career that floats in a no-man’s land between earning potential, benefits and other fiscal metrics, and being something which is  enjoyable and that aligns with a passion or interest. Of course there are the outliers; those who wake up on Wall Street every morning and dread the opening bell, but make seven figures a year,  so suffer day in and day out;  or those who choose to ditch the rat race entirely and resort to building their own cabin in the woods, leaving society behind.. I would hazard a guess however,  that the vast majority of people, outliers included, have never asked themselves what they would truly love to be doing with their lives. 

My mother posed this question to me after attending a workshop with a fellow teacher. In this workshop, my mother and her colleague had engaged in conversation about raising children, and shared their personal philosophies on the matter. My mother’s colleague explained that before he let his children move out of the house, he asked them this question: “What would you do if you knew you wouldn’t fail?”. Regardless of their answer, he would not allow his children to move out until they had taken adequate time and devoted themselves entirely towards pursuing their dream. He felt that if his children were never allowed or encouraged to pursue their true passion, they would go through life asking “what if?” 

I remember my response to my mom word-for-word when she asked me this: 

It took me less than a minute to answer that question, and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this moment changed my life in a massive way. 

My mom and I would have many conversations over the coming weeks and months about what would need to happen to make this dream a reality. The huge time commitment, the discipline, a part time job to support basic expenses…The biggest point that my mother wanted to convey to me was that she would support and encourage me, but only if I truly treated this dream like a job. In her eyes this meant prioritizing it above other commitments or obligations that may interfere, treating my body with the compassion that it deserved and making sure that I was taking care of myself so that I could continue to train hard, and figuring out ways in which this dream could be monetized and support me in the future. 

I was dubious about the prospect of chasing this dream. It is scary to stray from a traditional path, and over the prior four years I had spent a huge amount of time identifying and following a course of study and a post collegiate path that was meaningful to me. I earned my degree in kinesiology from UVA and had been admitted to graduate school to pursue a doctorate in physical therapy. However, when my mom asked me this question and I truly took a step back, I realized I had never cared so deeply about something before, or felt more driven to improve and learn. Physical therapy was interesting and I knew I would find success if I chose to pursue it, but I had absolutely fallen in love with the sport of triathlon, and for the first time in my life felt that I had found what I was put here to do. 

So, I took the plunge. I deferred my admission to PT school, found a local fitness studio where I could coach and make some money, and began to treat training as my job. 

The change that was felt by myself and those around me was immense and immediate. My mood improved, my focus piqued, I felt stronger and more driven. However it was my mindset that may have experienced the most significant change.  Prior to making this commitment, I would tell people that I was an aspiring physical therapist, even though I was never truly excited by this prospect. I would be afraid or nervous to be honest about how much time I was spending on my bike or in the water. I almost felt ashamed because my dreams were so different from what most people view as successful, and I didn’t want them to think poorly of me. After beginning to treat training as my job however, this all changed. I no longer say that I am working to become a PT, but rather that I am an aspiring pro. I am proud of the time and the effort that I put in each and every day. I have started to own this dream, and it is paying off in spades. 

The decision to pursue my professional license has changed my life in so many ways and the journey has just started. I believe that the message and sentiment behind my decision, however, is universally applicable.  Own your happiness because nothing is more powerful than taking pride in what you care about. 

By Thomas Inigo