When I crossed the finish line of lap 66 a few weeks ago, I began pondering my purpose and goals, as I often do when I complete another lap around the sun, wondering how many more I might have left. Ninety-nine seems like a nice round number, but I’ll take whatever I get and be thankful. So, I considered how that gratitude might help me with self-mastery and living authentically. As I prepare for lap 67, I’ve reconsidered Nietzsche’s “amor fati” (love of fate).
All the people, places, and experiences of my 66 years are simmering in the big stewpot of my lifetime, melding their flavors into my becoming. “Amor fati” is not just enjoying the good times. It’s embracing the suffering and setbacks as an essential part of my unique journey, loving all the experiences that have produced my becoming. Nietzsche’s philosophy rejects a life of comfort and conformity, urging us to wield our will to create meaning in a chaotic world.
“The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are.” ~ Joseph Campbell
By training our will, we gain the power to navigate life’s uncertainties, transform challenges into growth, and continually evolve toward a life that reflects our deepest values and aspirations. Nietzsche calls the training “Gymnastics of the Will.” It strengthens your ability to accept and affirm setbacks, using them as fuel for growth. After a failure, instead of despairing, you train your will to see it as a lesson, channeling it into renewed effort toward your goals. The interplay of becoming and “Gymnastics of the Will” ensures you live dynamically, never settling for a lesser version of yourself.
May the Force be With You
You cultivate your willpower to create discipline, strength, and consistency. “Gymnastics of the Will” is the training ground for becoming. It’s the disciplined, intentional exercise of your willpower to navigate the flux of existence, overcome obstacles, and sculpt yourself into who you aspire to be. Your will can be both a creative and destructive force, capable of destroying old habits, defying external pressures, and forging new paths. The “gymnastics” metaphor suggests rigorous, repetitive practice to strengthen your will, like training any other muscle in your body.
“Be brave enough to live the life of your dreams according to your vision and purpose instead of the expectations and opinions of others.” ~ Roy T. Bennett
Will is the engine of becoming, powering the effort to move beyond your current self. “Gymnastics of the Will” trains you to act decisively, resist distractions, and pursue your vision of who you can become. If you aspire to be a writer, the will drives you to write daily, even through self-doubt, aligning your actions with your evolving identity. By training your will through intentional effort, discomfort, and reflection, you live powerfully and authentically, transforming obstacles into opportunities and creating a life of purpose and fulfillment.
Becoming is a dynamic, ever-changing process rather than a fixed state of being. To “become” is to embrace this fluidity, continually striving to create and surpass yourself, aligning with your unique potential. It’s about rejecting complacency, defying societal norms, and forging your path through active self-overcoming. Shaping your identity and values through deliberate choices, not accepting predefined roles. Seeing challenges as opportunities to grow stronger and refine your will. Avoiding stagnation by constantly questioning and evolving your beliefs, goals, and self.
“A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at.” ~ Bruce Lee
“Becoming” – Flexing Your Will:
- Define Your Values and Purpose: Reflect on what matters most. Creativity, relationships, personal growth, and contribution are a few possibilities. Nietzsche emphasized living according to your own “noble” ideals. Write down a vision of your best self and what you want to create or become.
- Set Challenging Goals: Choose ambitious, meaningful goals that stretch you; struggle is essential for growth. Break these goals into actionable steps to build momentum while keeping the bigger picture in sight.
- Practice Daily Discipline: Strengthen your will with consistent habits. Start with intentional acts, like waking up early, meditating, exercising, and reading. Commit to them, building mental toughness and self-control.
- Embrace Discomfort: Suffering and resistance forge a stronger will. Seek out challenges, whether physical (get to the gym for a tough workout), intellectual (learn a complex skill), or emotional (face your fears). Each time you push through discomfort, you train your will to endure, thrive, and grow stronger.
- Cultivate Self-Awareness: Reflect on your actions, motives, and progress. Journaling or meditation can help you identify weaknesses, distractions, or excuses. It requires ruthless honesty with yourself to overcome self-deception.
- Say No to Mediocrity: “Gymnastics of the Will” is about rejecting passivity and conformity. Avoid distractions like mindless scrolling or societal pressures that pull you from your path. Curate your environment—people, media, routines—to support your becoming.
- Adapt and Overcome: Life will test you, count on it! Practice resilience by reframing failures as opportunities to learn and grow. “Amor fati” (love of fate) encourages embracing all experiences as necessary for your becoming.
“There can be no life without change, and to be afraid of what is different or unfamiliar is to be afraid of life.” ~ Theodore Roosevelt
Becoming is sculpting yourself, and “Gymnastics of the Will” is the hammer that forges disciplined habits and intentional choices. By consistently acting on your values, you create a self that aligns with your potential. Becoming thrives in the absence of fixed beliefs. Exercising your Will builds the resilience required to navigate uncertainty, encouraging you to experiment, adapt, and redefine your purpose as you grow. If your present path no longer resonates, having a strong will empowers you to pivot powerfully and decisively, dynamically becoming yourself.
