Last week, Coach Chris walked us through why quality outweighs quantity when it comes to your training. Check that article out here if you missed it!
Mindset is everything.
One of the more difficult aspects of our fitness journey to improve is our mindset. We can have the best intentions, the best programming, community, coaching, and facility possible, but still not be successful in sticking with a workout program — because we sabotage all our efforts with the wrong attitude and mindset.
There are A LOT of aspects about mindset we could tackle here, but the biggest killer of long term success I see in athletes is the “all or nothing” mentality. If we’re not willing to compromise sometimes, we can’t last for the long run. Life is always crazy. We have to recognize that something is better than nothing. Bettering yourself is not an easy journey, but it helps to give yourself some grace and understanding.
I used to struggle with this mentality all the time, and I still do sometimes (but like anything else, it gets better with practice). If I couldn’t do the exact workout I wanted to do, at the time I wanted to do it, in the place I wanted to do it — I just wouldn’t work out at all. If I didn’t have time to do all four workout pieces in my competitor program (which I had no business following in the first place) I would skip the gym entirely. I got everything exactly how I wanted it, or nothing at all. You can guess how that worked out for me: Frustration & stagnation.
Many people struggle with this same concept with their nutrition. They’re either going Whole 30, or they’re eating pizza, donuts, & McDonalds every meal. Either they’re “on the wagon” or “off the wagon.”
Guess what? There is no wagon. There’s just the road. Moving forward slowly is better than not moving at all. Doing a handful of burpees is better than nothing. Going for a walk is better than nothing. Eating a big helping of veggies with your pizza + beer is better than nothing. As long as you’re moving one foot in front of the other, that’s progress. We can tackle this stuff one small habit at a time. It doesn’t have to be 100% or 0%.
Sometimes life might require us to take baby steps, while other times we feel like we’re cruising at 70mph on the freeway. Focusing on moving forward — not on how fast you wish you were going — is key for sustaining your sanity in the long haul.
Sometimes success is just showing up. And that’s OK.
