Success often looks different to different people, but the path to get there often looks the same.
Being successful is all about making progress, but we know, from doing it ourselves and seeing others do the same, that you’ll take a few steps forwards and then a few steps back. Then you’ll move a bit further forwards before going back to almost the point you were at last time. Progress, backtrack; progress; backtrack. Gain weight, lose weight. Get 20 unbroken pull-ups, go back to being able to do 6 again.
The key to keeping going is knowing that you whenever you slide backwards you won’t be going quite as far backwards as before. You’ll always be moving towards success.
The loops between where you are and where you slide back to shrink.
You’ll also notice that you’re not sliding backwards as often as before as health and fitness becomes more and more of an essential part of your day to day routine.
One day you’ll look back on the previous few months and think “Wow, I’ve gone a whole year without gaining any major weight.” And when you have little bumps, thinking this way will help you keep your perspective.
We’ve heard the phrase #highclassproblems. But what does it mean? It reminds us that while problems will never go away, they get smaller in magnitude and less frequent over time. You’re upset because your deadlift dropped from 120kg to 100kg? That’s a shame….. BUT look at the bright side – you can still lift 100kg off the floor!
We’ve seen people come to us when they’ve got stuck in the first loop of fitness forever – they’ve made a bit of progress and then lost it all, then gained it again, then lost it again. The cycle has repeated a few times and then they come to us.
Maybe their programme was unsustainable. Maybe their diet wasn’t realistic. Maybe they were trying to rush ahead to a level of complexity that they didn’t need yet. Maybe they got bored.
If you are prepared to stick with something, after about six weeks with us you’ll be a bit further along that before and even if you do fall off, the fall won’t be ALL the way back to where you started.
Maybe you’ve fallen off slightly over the past few months and now you want to get yourself in gear. Maybe you’re ready for a new challenge. Maybe your fitness routine from before lockdown wasn’t really doing it for you. Maybe lockdown has given you a new appreciation for health and fitness.
If that’s you, then you could do a whole lot worse than getting in touch with us so that we can help you develop a bigger buffer for the next time you have a little slip. If you’re willing to turn up and work hard then you’re capable of helping yourself. We’re also capable of helping you.
The real path to success starts with turning up.
Inspiration provided by Chris Cooper at Catalystgym.com.