THE YIN AND YANG OF BALL AND LIFE
December 16, 2008 by R.C. Cola
Maintaining the edge in your game takes practice, devotion, and above all, time.
Unfortunately for most people, the increasing demands of work, school, and other responsibilities make it exceedingly difficult to find a few hours in the day for hoops. While a tough task - particularly as you get older - it’s not impossible. It’s all a matter of balancing time and priorities. Eastern philosophy stresses a yin and yang for life - such a concept can be applied between basketball and life. Ultimately, the ability to manage your time and priorities comes from a change in habit, including setting goals and sticking to them.
“The middle path is the way to wisdom.”
Look to the Buddhist philosophy of the “Middle Way.” It’s said to be a path to enlightenment, but I’m not aiming for such lofty goals. The Middle Way is the practice of avoiding indulgence and complete self-mortification. But more simply, it’s staying away from the extremes in all facets of life and makes for a good general rule. Simply put, don’t overload yourself with work. Conversely, don’t spend all your time shooting hoops, or your basketball sneakers maybe the only thing left to your name. Over-devotion to one area of your life will mean sacrifices in other aspects.
More conventionally, it’s a matter of setting priorities. Look to activities where you are wasting time, and eliminate them or rein them in. E-mail is a huge time-waster, as it constantly checking on new messages breaks your concentration. For instance, you can make a habit of checking email only twice a day, once during the morning and once during the night. The same goes for personal phone calls. Make it a habit to set a time limit on activities, like knowing how many games to play, or how much time to spend on an Excel spreadsheet. For many regular tasks, develop a routine so you know how long they take to perform.
Many professionals who join basketball leagues often bail out of games because of scheduling conflicts, leaving their teammates in a jam. While some cancellations are unavoidable, a little planning would go a long way to avoiding those game-time disappearances.
Likewise, balancing the grueling demands of sports and academics is a challenge, but it’s not impossible.
“The liberation of self is the responsibility of one’s own self.”
Ultimately, the responsibility falls upon you to change. Time is a fixed commodity, and no matter what happens, we get those 24 hours each day. It’s up to you how you want to use them.
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