This is what the path to success truly looks like.
You’ll make progress. Then, you might backtrack almost to zero again. You’ll make a bit more progress, and then backtrack almost to where you were before. It’s a cycle: progress, backtrack; progress, backtrack. Gain weight, lose weight. Get 20 unbroken pull-ups, then drop to six again.
But here’s why you should keep going: Every time you loop back, you won’t go quite as far backward as before. The loops get smaller.
You’ll also start to notice that you’re not backtracking as often. One day, you’ll look up and realize, “Wow, I’ve gone a whole year without any major setbacks.” When you hit small bumps, this perspective will help you stay grounded.
A fellow gym owner, Nikole, coined the hashtag #highclassproblems. She’s an expert, and I love this phrase because it reminds me that while problems never truly disappear, they become smaller and less frequent over time. Deadlift dropped from 500 to 450? Bummer. But you can still pick FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY FREAKING POUNDS OFF THE FLOOR!
Many people get stuck in that initial loop of fitness forever: try something, make progress, fall off. Sometimes their programs, diets, or tricks are unsustainable. Sometimes they’re boring. Sometimes they just don’t work.
But usually, after six weeks, the exerciser is a bit further along. And even if they fall off, the fall won’t be ALL the way back.
Maybe after a tough holiday season of too much eating, drinking, and resting (#highclassproblems), you’ve fallen backward. But you can still work out. You can still show up. You haven’t lost your touch. And next year, when you fall back again, you’ll be even further ahead. You’re building a margin for lapses.
If for no other reason, go to the gym today because today’s problems are slightly less daunting than last year’s problems. I’ve been there, and I believe in you.