Obsession is fire

Somewhere along the way, obsession picked up a bad reputation.

It's unhealthy. A phase. Dial it back, ease in, don't burn out.

When I started CrossFit, I could not get enough of it! I remember my house mate and I, who I also worked with, used to spend most days watching the clock from about lunchtime, counting the minutes to get out the door, back to the gym. We’d spend afternoons yarning about different workouts, how we went yesterday, or wondering what the workout would be today. We’d joke about our game plan, what the perfect session is, how we were going to be stars one day. All the dreaming you can think of, we were living that out loud. At 4pm, we were out the door, racing to the gym.

When we arrived at the gym, it didn't stop. We'd spend hours there every evening. Then we'd go home, and by the next morning we were champing at the bit to get back. On weekends we'd look for a competition, any competition, we could get to. We'd browse YouTube for the latest tips and tricks. We'd talk to anyone who'd listen, and to anyone who was doing something we hadn't tried.

The challenge. The new. The learning. The people, the culture and the community. We loved all of it.

Nobody had to convince us to train. Nobody had to hold us accountable. There was no negotiating with ourselves at 5:30am. It just pulled us. We were obsessed.

But what did this obsession actually do?

We leaned into it early and passionately, without realising it, because the curiosity and excitement felt natural.

Obsession doesn't last forever. But it leaves behind something more valuable. Obsession builds habits. The kind that lasts a lifetime.

You can't force the feeling of excitement. But when it turns up, you can either use it or you can manage it. You can lean in, or say "I better not go too hard, it probably won't last." Most people choose the latter which is a mistake.

I'm less obsessed now. Honestly, it's a different kind of relationship.

But here's what's interesting. The desire to train is still there. The pull toward that environment is still there. It's so natural it doesn't feel like a chore. Getting to the gym is easy. Staying fit is easy. Prioritising my wellbeing isn't a decision I have to make every day, because I made it thousands of times.

Even my quieter, less obsessed version of training beats where I'd be had I stayed clear of this obsession. And that's not because of discipline. It's because I built a foundation while I was on fire.

I may no longer be obsessed but the pattern is still alive and well.

That's what routine and normality really are. They're what remains once passion has done its work.

The same goes for everything you lean into. A new instrument. A business. A language. A craft. A relationship with your health. The first months are loud. Everything is exciting, everything is possible, and you can't stop thinking about it. That's not a problem that needs to be solved. This is fuel.

If you love something, and you know you love it, but you'll hold back because it might not last, you're protecting yourself from opportunity. Instead of avoiding burnout, you're avoiding the very thing that makes it stick. What if you stoked the fire with every piece of wood you could find, then went and found some more, then asked a friend for some too? What if you gave yourself the chance to reach the other side, where what was once a bonfire, has settled into something steady, warm, and almost impossible to put out? You'll never know what it's like to have a habit that feels less like effort and more like who you are, unless you lean in.

I'm not telling you to ignore sleep, food, or the people around you. Everything I've written before still stands.

But when the spark shows up, you don’t need to negotiate with it, or play it cool. Fight with the clock. Race out the door. Talk about it too much. Watch all of the videos. Enter the competitions. Ask questions. Get it wrong, get it right, and do it all again tomorrow.

You're not being unbalanced. You're building something.

Obsession is fire.

Are you feeding it, or are you putting it out before it has a chance to warm you for the rest of your life?