When you challenge yourself
to keep things interesting
be sure that
you don’t lose the original goal
of the challenge.

When I was a competitive eater
I could swallow more franks
than many other boys
but I couldn’t taste them.
All I got out of the experience
was a lot of meat between my lips
which was only so satisfying after all.
I gave up the race
and found myself enjoying the meals
much much more.

When I said I would read thirty books one summer
I started looking for shorter book
thinner volumes that would make me finish fast.
My attention on the words diminished
and my desire to expand my horizons
quickly proved less important than my desire
to expand my book count.

I can’t tell you the maximum number of times
I’ve masturbated in twenty hours.
I can’t tell you how many copies of Vulture
I scrounged from bargain bins
or how many 1991 pennies I collected that summer.
Do not let the OCD overtake you.
Remember your purpose
and do not deviate.