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Wednesday, 6 March 2013

Shut up and do it

Recently I've been in the interesting position of watching other people. Watching them and making sure that I do not become like them.

I've been observing the excuse makers. Those who are, as a particular friend says "all fur coat and nay trews".

You know the kind. Those with the grand ideas, or even the little ideas, who somehow lack the conviction to do anything about it. Those that talk the big talk, the ones who are going to go out, change the world, get up early, climb a new route, have a long day on the hill, quit their job, or just lift a weight above their heads.

If I say I'm going to do something, I do it. The run gets done. The Gym gets a visit. The alarm gets set, and doesn't get snoozed. At the moment, it just seems like I'm getting more and more annoyed about others that just don't have the conviction to follow through on stuff that they apparently WANT to do.
So annoyed that I think I'm just going to have to ignore them.

Its like this. You go on a trip with a load of "like minded people", you'd imagine there might be a large proportion of them ready for a long walk, a run, an adventure or something along those lines.... yet, somehow, many people make excuses as to why they won't be able to do it. Any excuse, any reason, anything to explain why they are too lazy and dilletante to get off their bums and go out to do things.
And these are people who call themselves motivated outdoors people.
Really?

No.
You are lazy self serving slackers with a penchant for expensive gear as a way to justify to yourself that you will use it to the full, where as in fact it will be used for bumbling around a town, or sitting down in the park, basking the glory of a logo that adorns the garments of people you aspire to be like. Unfortunately, that is as close as you are going to get.

Those people who actually USE this gear have something you lack.
Yes, ability. But more than that, Conviction and motivation.
No matter the weather, no matter their state of mind - they have the strength of will and of mind to not sit at the bottom of a hill, drinking cappuccinos and eating vast amounts of crap, but to follow up on what they say they are going to do.
They don't sit around and wait for someone to suggest going for a cream tea as an alternative to an epic adventure, they get out there, and they damn well do it.

Alpine starts aren't just for alpinists, they are for the committed, they are for those who like to make the best of the day, they are for people that don't want to waste away precious days that could be had in the hills, the mountains, and with friends.

Stop talking about doing things. It accomplishes nothing.
Get out there. Plan it. Do it.

The only things stopping you are the barriers that you place in front of yourself.
Stop making excuses.

1 comment:

  1. This post really struck a chord with me. I used to get annoyed (and jealous if I'm honest)when seeing people in their technical kit walking round town or sat having a coffee in Starbucks. You can tell it has never seen the hills or been used for what it is intended for. I just let it wash over me now but back in January a few friends and I decided to meet up in Castleton for a days running (followed by lot of beer). By pure luck it ended up being in the last big snowfall and we had a fantastic time. Anyway we were running up to the summit of Mam Tor and we got there the same time as a group of walkers with all their gear on, they even had ice axes! the funny thing though was the runner coming up the other side of the summit wearing a short sleeve tshirt. I didn't know who this other runner was but he made my day. The looks on their faces after seeing a guy with trainers and a tshirt on was priceless.

    p.s. I've used a RAB Vapour Rise Stretch top all winter after reading your post on it. One of my favorite bits of running kit.

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