Life Lessons from the Gym #3 - Do the Stuff That Scares You
Training isn’t just about looking or feeling better. At the time I’m writing this, I’ve been in the gym consistently for 15 years and coaching for 8. That’s about half my life in the gym. The gym has taught me more about life than any class or course.
I’m going to start sharing some of these lessons learned in blog posts over the next several months. I thought about doing three in one post but as I’ve been writing I think I need more space to fully articulate what I’ve been thinking. So I’m going to do just one lesson per post. Hopefully this will resonate with someone out there.
Life Lessons from the Gym #3 – Do the Stuff That Scares You
It’s a unique experience to get under a heavy squat, knowing that the slightest technical mistake will staple you to the ground. Same goes for a bench press or any overhead lift. Training heavy can be nerve-wracking if you aren’t mentally prepared.
I get nervous before certain heavy lifts. I’ve had a lot of training-related pain over the last year, and I remember how horrible it was and don’t want to injure myself. I don’t want to face the disappointment of missing a lift I’ve wanted to hit for a long time.
However, I’ll never make a lift if I don’t get under the bar for fear of failure. That fear is part of the process. The longer you train, the more you learn to harness it, control it, and direct it, but it’s always there in some way.
Some fear is healthy. Anyone who claims to never be afraid is lying. It’s a protective mechanism – you SHOULD be scared of getting stapled to the floor under hundreds of pounds. However, sometimes we let fear out of its rightful place and start letting it control our every decision.
In life, no one owes you anything, and nothing worth having ever comes easily. This is true for the obvious financial success that we all want, but also for relationships, our health, raising good kids….you get the idea. Our fear holds us back. We don’t want to take financial risks, even though the payoff might be a bigger paycheck or even just a more fulfilling career. We don’t want to make ourselves vulnerable in a relationship because we’ve been hurt and don’t want to face rejection. We’re scared of ridicule from friends and family if we try to make time for our health. We want to protect our kids from pain rather than let them try and fail or solve problems on their own. You could be afraid of something as simple and common as public speaking or asking for a raise. You could be afraid of bigger things too, like going back to school for a different career path. You won’t be able to move forward with your life if you don’t master your fear.
Courage isn’t the absence of fear, but is the willingness and ability to act in spite of it. Do the stuff that scares you. It’s what’s holding you back, and it’s completely within your control.
If you’re looking for a fitness trainer in the Mt Juliet/Hermitage/Nashville TN area, online fitness training, or just need some advice to get your fitness program started, contact me