Goal Setting & University Worlds

I set out on 3 goals to hit in the 1st half of 2010:
1. Total 182kgs
2. Qualify for the World University Team
3. Graduate from MIT in June

I hit all 3. Oops, not in the most optimal order. The 182kg I hit in training-- and not at the University Worlds - contained the Univ. Worlds gold medal snatch....had I done that in the total, who knows how the field would have played out-- World Champion? Atleast a silver or bronze?

It's funny, I thought my goals would all be very, if not extremely, difficult to meet. I should be happy. My Univ world performance was not far off my official totals(ie not training). Again, I should be very happy.

Interestingly, I am not discouraged. Really. If anything, I'm even more motivated than before. I think I proved the following to myself:
1. Yes, I really am a "high performance athlete" (from independent evaluation while training abroad)
2. When in a focused environment, I can be a great lifter. When I had 4 months of nothing but Thesis -lift-Thesis/lab- Lift- thesis- sleep--thesis ..., I hit the 182kg. I will find away to hit even bigger weights.

Sadly, I kind of saw all of this coming. My thesis due in May, going back to work fulltime in April, halfing my workout hours was perfect storm of events. Sometimes, despite your yearnings, things seem to slip away. Or, maybe it's the Self's subconcious complacency, knowing that, on some level, you have already won.

In the end, there are many athletes who can say the same. If only they lifted what they did yesterday, if only they performed as they did a month ago -- somehow the world conspires against them for a pick of reasons: injuries, sickness, nerves, family, work , school.... That is the sport.

Back to the squat rack.