Saturday was the day I moved into my new home, and although my workouts will help me prepare for out of the ordinary activities I will encounter in my life, moving will always get to you. It’s those strange moves that will push your muscles in unusual ways. I loved the activity, as it was an opportunity to have a unique workout. However, as a result of the unique workout, I was very sore in unusual places. Therefore, I took took yesterday off as a rest day. Again, you have to be flexible and adjust to life’s opportunities.
So instead of describing my workouts and nutrition which has ended for public viewing on the 21st day, I want to talk about a group of athletes who have the passion, discipline and mental state I am always talking about. I will start my diaries and other interesting blogs for members only later this week.
The athletes I want to recognize are those athletes who have finished the Get Cut Program. In addition, the athletes in the Get Cut Program class have been at it every morning, enthusiastic and driven. It’s pretty inspiring.
The Get Cut Program is a tough program, but the athletes who finished it are stellar. They not only had the drive, passion and determination to finish; they were not deterred by others who either quit, cheated, or encouraged them to cheat. They had the mental drive, in addition to the physical drive. Great job.
I am always telling my athletes not to quit. Finish what you started, even when it’s pretty tough. I always think back to what Aristotle said “Well begun is [only] half done.” And being half done is not enough. You are what you do, so why be half-assed about anything that you do. What you do, says who you are.
Quitting also creates a memory … similar to muscle memory .. that makes quitting easier next time. Even if you don’t quit the next time, you will be thinking about it. Your confidence will be shaken It will be a bad dynamic that you don’t want to start. Just don’t do it.
Most people will think about quitting when it gets hard or when they get scared. The status quo is easy, but pushing yourself is not. Pushing yourself and achieving what you thought was not achievable, is very rewarding. It’s a way to improve your confidence. Also, it’s a way to keep moving the bar forward on what you thought was not possible.
You need to create an ideal environment where you won’t quit. It can be by yourself, with friends who push you and hold you accountable, or with your true training partner. For me, the best training happens when I workout alone or with my true training partner. I don’t quit and I hold myself accountable, in part, because quitting is harder to deal with than pushing myself. Also, pushing myself is so much more rewarding long-term. Quitting may be rewarding in the moment, but that moment gives way to longer-term disappointment and regret. I won’t do it.
In the gym, you will learn skills that you can use in your life. The skills you learn are definitely the physical ones, but also the mental ones. Believe me, if you start to quit during your workouts, you will be more likely to quit in your professional and personal life. Learning the mental skill to push through an uncomfortable situation, isn’t something you check in at the door. It’s something you take with you when you go home or to work.
Also, having two young children, I want to be a role model. I won’t show them how to quit. I will show them how to overcome obstacles. I will teach them that the obstacles we create, are really not physical ones…they are mental ones. We just need to learn how to control our doubts and lack of self-confidence, and focus on setting goals and achieving them.
Some people think I don’t have those bad moments when I want to quit. I do have such moment. I have the same thoughts you do, but I stop them when they first creep into my mind. I don’t let them root. I push back and push through.
I have little patience for quitters. They come up with every excuse in the book. I’ve heard all the excuses: “Its not good for me,” “Its to hard,” “It’s not that important to me,” “I can’t sustain it,” “I am too sore,” blah blah blah. You want the results, but you won’t do what it takes.
Quitting is not only an action taken after you start something, you can quit before you start. If you want to achieve something, but if you have an excuse that keeps you from starting — such as, “Oh, I’m too old to do that,” “I have never been able to do it,” – then you are quitting even before you are starting. This is even worse, then quitting after you begin something. Quitting before you begin will limit you and your experience, which will help you grow and will enrich your life.
If you haven’t tried Pat’s Gym, you need to. If you workout at Pat’s Gym, I thank you for helping me create an environment where we all support one another, and we’re all driven. It’s a place for passionate athletes of all levels of fitness and accomplishment. It’s a place I’m proud to call “Our Gym,” because even though the space may be great, it is nothing without the spirit that you all bring to the Gym.
Thank you.
