#3: Keep showing up

Every week is different.

Author

Ben Wainwright
January 24, 2025 • Reading time: 4 minutes

What does it mean to show up consistently? I think about this a lot.

Some people talk about doing difficult things that you don’t want to do as the pinnacle of showing up consistently. David Goggins comes to mind as the prime example. Others talk about being compassionate and not overexerting yourself in the short-term at the expense of long-term health.

It’s a difficult balance to find. There’s too much at play for one rule working for everyone all the time.

This week, I’ve put off things I probably could’ve done - like filming my first YouTube video. And I’ve pushed myself in other areas, like climbing, to show up and test my limits.

But climbing is familiar and enjoyable whereas YouTube videos are unknown & unnatural to me. So maybe I tend towards difficult things that are more comfortable than easy & uncomfortable things.

Or is that the whole idea of playing to your strengths. The thoughts can be endless. The one thing I do know is that thoughts can’t stop action.

Now is the easiest time.

UK Cyber Leaders Challenge

This week, I haven’t created the YouTube video I was planning to. I’ve written an outline of what I want to say but I’ve been putting off filming it which needs to change.

Instead, I’ve been keeping busy planning for the Regional Qualifiers of the UK Cyber Leaders Challenge. There’s lots of moving parts in planning 3 events in one week with around 400 guests, each with their own schedule for the day.

One of the activities has been leading 2 Q&A sessions for the teams and their academic mentors. It’s great to see their enthusiasm but a little daunting with the amount of work that goes into making the event possible.

It’s send o’clock.

Freeklime, Huddersfield

My final session before round 2 of the Winter Bouldering League concludes at Freeklime. I had my eye on 4 problems that felt possible.

The first, I made little progress on where I had got to previously. The second, I was able to start (just about) but not progress much further. The third, I knew of a beta-break (a way to climb it, separate from the intended technique) that made it possible to finish.

The fourth was tricky. I had got to the finish before but not stuck it. And I had taken an awkward fall from my foot slipping so I was more hesitant. But I knew it was within my grasp.

After many attempts & support from another climber, I managed to climb it 2 hours into my climbing session.

I wanted to complete more problems but 2 out of 4 on the final day isn’t bad.

Let me be me.

Photo by Peter Burdon on Unsplash

On Saturday, I played my first football game of 2025. A very chilly day out in Huddersfield. It was a must win game with our team 1 point of relegation and 6 points away from promotion!

The first half was close with opportunities going both ways. We went it at half time 2-1 up, knowing that we were playing uphill with a setting sun in our eyes in the second half.

A dubious penalty to the opposition made it 2-2. Shortly after a brave finish from one of of strikers, made it 3-2. For the remainder of the game we managed to shut out the opposition giving us a much needed 3-2 win.

It wasn’t my busiest game as goalkeeper but the cold weather and lack of playing recently left me feeling very sore on Monday morning.

I’m recovered now and ready for another game this weekend.