Not everything needs a hammer?

I went to a women's soccer practice for an over 35 team tonight. Really, the over 35 part is misleading since I think any of those ladies could kick a 19 yr old's butt any day. So all that running that I've been doing? Also misleading...I was sweating 5 minutes in! And my sore knees...it's going to be payback tomorrow for putting them through their paces tonight and my ankles seem to be feeling a bit like the knees too.

The most amusing part of practice was when the woman who was coaching informed me that "not everything needs a hammer, y'know?". Apparently I try to make up for my lack of skills by giving it my all - I run at the ball hard, I boot it hard (sometimes with no regard for where it's going to end up) and I don't always have a strategy for my plays - rarely, if ever actually. Just give'er could be my motto.

This could explain a lot of things in my life: home renos, my driving style, cooking (sometimes stuff gets on the floor - ok most of the time!), sewing (high speed and limited control), my approach to breaking at pool and even relationships. I generally figure if you just try hard enough it will all come together somehow and of course if at first you don't succeed take a second run at it...just throw yourself into it a bit more.

Do you ever wonder if you're in a patch where life is just chock full of lessons no matter where you turn? I'm getting the message that I need to learn to apply less force and more thought and planning (soccer), take it easy on myself and know my own limits (lean cuts class), and pace myself (running 101). Well tonight my homework involves vitamins and ibuprofen!