Two more weeks and I will be officially league free.
Yep, I finally did it. After several years of oscillating from over-committing to "just once a week" I realized it was time to just take a complete break.
Its kind of an odd feeling. I've been playing continuously in the same league since I started playing pool. But over the last couple of months I realized that I achieved most of what I wanted to in league (for now), and that I needed to devote more time to tournaments, practice and non-pool activities.
One of my instructors used to say, "Always leave the table wanting more." Lately, league has felt a little bit like having a second job (that doesn't pay very well!). In the past, I have found value in pushing past the "league fatigue" to find a new motivation in order to keep going. But now its time to move on.
A few months ago, when I was in the middle of my tournament blitz, I kind of knew I was headed for burnout city. I went ahead anyway because my gut told me that it would somehow force a change that was necessary. And it did. It broke my addiction to league. Okay, maybe its not league per se, but my addiction to my comfort zone. Now that I've spent more time in arenas that are new and challenging, I'm not that interested in going back.
So, as of week after next, I will be a free agent. I'm not sure what that means, except that I will only play pool when I really want to and not when I have to. Just writing that makes me want to go play pool NOW. I'd say that's a good sign.
