I was so impressed with the rigorous physical (and mental) training Navy SEALs do and its profound effect on the body (and the mind) of the trainees as described in a book entitled 8 Weeks to SEALFIT I read last week that I became interested in the philosophy behind this training and read (the first edition of) The Way of the SEAL - a no less exciting book by the same author this week. I also read another stimulating book entitled What Doesn't Kill Us this week.
These two books I read this week have made me realize anew that I still remain in a comfort zone both physically and mentally in spite of my present struggle with (and hopeful triumph over) private and professional adversities and has convinced me to get out of this comfort zone of mine by challenging myself further both physically and mentally instead of simply waiting for new hardships to come unexpectedly to my life. I've adopted three criteria for choosing the appropriate physical and mental challenges for myself: 1) they are attainable; 2) they are measurable; 3) they can have deadlines. This way I've decided to impose upon myself two physical challenges and one mental challenge.
The first physical challenge is to participate in Jerusalem Marathon for the first time. It will take place next Friday, and I've registered for its 10km section at the last moment yesterday. My measurable goal for this time is to finish running 10km. I started running in my late teens and its my first conscious workout. Since them I've continued running with a five-year interval in the second half of my twenties. My long-term goal is to increase the length little by little and run a full marathon within five years and also improve my speed.
The second physical challenge is to start learning Krav Maga. I've found quite a few courses here. The one I've chosen is affiliated with International Krav Maga Federation and taught by someone who learned Krav Maga by its inventor and has been practicing it for 40 years. I've already contacted him and agreed to come to his first lesson in about two weeks. My measurable goal is to go up the ladder of its belts (white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and black) and patches (P (Practitioner) 1-5, G (Graduate) 1-5, and E (Expert) 1-5), or to be more specific, to reach the green belt or P5 within five years. But of course, the true goal is to get myself out of my physical comfort zone, strengthen my self-confidence, and develop my physical and mental resilience. The same is the case with Jerusalem Marathon and daily training in preparation for it.
And the mental challenge I've already started to struggle with is to improve my Russian. In my late teens, twenties, and early thirties I used to add a new language every year, thus learning 15 languages in total. Along the way I've devised a method for learning any modern language quickly and thoroughly. There is one language I've tried to learn for which this method hasn't work very well - Russian. So trying to improve my Russian is definitely a mental challenge for me. The fact that I may lose practical motivation for using it is paradoxically another challenge as I consider motivation as the most decisive factor in embarking on the study of any new language and continuing this Sisyphean labor. I'll use Test of Russian as a Foreign Language to set a measurable annual goal. One can take this test in Israel at the Russian Cultural Centre in Tel Aviv. My long-term goal is to read the sixth, i.e., the highest, level within five years. I've also read a book entitled Becoming Fluent to benefit from recent advancements in cognitive science as applied to learning a foreign language.
The mere action of making these three decisions this week was even enough to feel recharged with positive energy. As I continue my preparation for Jerusalem Marathon in a week and my renewed study of my Russian, I feel reinvigorated. I'm sure this feeling will intensify when I start my weekly Krav Maga training, hopefully in two weeks.