I know I have engaged here a while back a lot on my back issues. I’m at the point of no improvement after over 2.5 years and am thinking about forgoing my last year of college because I cannot sit at all without increased nerve pain in my back or stand that long (I can go for walk which helps my symptoms and I do that multiple times a day). I cannot handle a 4 hour work shift without being in at least a 7/10 pain and feel like finishing college would be useless if I am unable to work now. This shit is fucking becoming heartbreaking because I’m a 3.5 average gpa student with big goals after graduation and had big goals of being a world champion powerlifter and it seems like neither of those will happen now with this constant issue in my back.
Shafiq,
I have followed your journey since joining Barbell Medicine. None of us are in a position, or willing to advise you on what you should do with college as that is ultimately your decision. I am sorry you have dealt with these symptoms for such a prolonged period, and I know many within BBM have also had private conversations with you regarding possible steps to take.
It sounds like overall you are doing well in school and that is certainly commendable but if I were to focus on one aspect of your post to where I am willing to offer advice it is on your big goals. Often, an extreme focus on the end goal makes it difficult to set small goals and focus instead on the steps necessary with which to achieve objectives. Instead of being frustrated at the obstacle of not performing at the world champion level, possibly just looking to find some joy in moving. If there are large gaps in a goal and current state it does tend to lead to frustration instead of being able to enjoy small wins and not being able to prioritize achievable, small goals.
You are right to be frustrated, but it ultimately is also frustration that impedes progress as it makes it difficult to see what you can do. My advice would be to start prioritizing small goals for the time being. If you are experiencing symptoms 2 hours into a shift and you can make it to three hours, it is still hurting and that sucks, but it is a 50% improvement. This outlook can allow you to see things as a constant string of small wins instead of one, insurmountable defeat.
I am sure you have come across subject matter in school that was hard to grasp, and obviously you have found strategies with which to do so. If you just remained frustrated that you would never master a subject, it would make it hard to do your homework. But over time, you have obviously put in work, and done well at it, to where compared to starting on your academic journey, you have come a long way. It is probably even hard to see how that change took place because the knowledge you have gained is so natural now. The path to traverse with pain is no different. It is a series of small steps and consistent behaviors that ultimately will allow you to succeed. My best advice out of this, contemplate using some of the strategies that have allowed you to succeed in school to other parts of your life. Break your big goals down into smaller goals so that you can more readily achieve wins. Be persistent, if not tenacious, in achieving those small goals.
Thank you for that. If I’m being honest I’m not even getting any small wins nothing is improving at all in fact I’ve definitely gotten worse since the initial injury, but it’s been at a pretty consistent spot for the last while. How do I achieve small goals if nothing is trending upward? I’m miserable at this point