Why You Quit on Your Fitness Goals - Beating Resistance During a Pandemic.

Prologue:

“Don’t write at first for anyone but yourself.”

The above quote from T.S. Eliot was inspiration to push out my first blog.  Maybe it’ll help you in some way.

It also took a pandemic, quarantine-light for 45 days with a 2 year old, un-employed wife, our first dog Bella passing, an anxious resting heart rate and so much more.

The War of Art (Health)

"Most of us have two lives. The life we live and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance."

In Stephen Pressfield's book, The War of Art, he describes the most powerful yet unseen force in the world that appears almost immediately when one tries to pursue a better version of themselves…in health, in business, in relationships, in growth. That force is called Resistance.

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. Journaling, blogs, songs. It always starts well, I think…and then it dies. Within months, sometimes days, the will fades…it’s actually a hard stop, not a fade. All it takes is one missed day where the enemy wins. Without a routine, one that’s non-negotiable with purpose, laziness, fun, and excuses win every time. The end result is deleted Word documents and hand-written notebooks in the trash. I know Resistance well.

Your journey to health and wellness may have a similar story. Starts and stops; unfinished business.

The unused gym membership, bouncing from boutique gym to boutique gym, the treadmill at home that never gets used, the Whole 30 (it’s only 30 days, how about the Whole365?), cutting out bread, pasta and dairy (wtf, why?) and the most common plague of them all…trying to out-train a shitty diet of alcohol, restaurants, and snacks (Fri, Sat, Sun typically or Monday-Sunday COVID-19 style). Having been in the fitness industry for over a decade now, I witness the force of Resistance daily, and it attacks everyone.

The war of art is the war of health.

What’s a solution?

Stephen Pressfield told me it is found in the difference between “the Professional and the amateur”.

It’s a mindset shift. It’s an identity change.

What’s the difference between the two?

“The professional shows up no matter what. They show up every day. They play it as it lies”.

The amateur shows up when they feel like it when the conditions are just right to their liking.

Hint, that 'feeling' is rare, at best, and non-existent at worst.

The ‘right conditions’ are at an all-time low with the Coronavirus.

But the need for health is at an all-time high with Coronavirus.

What could the professional mindset look like, in health & fitness? (i.e. Hybrid member)

They stick to their workout plan no matter what.

They schedule their workouts at, same time, every week.

Tired, sore, hungover, depressed, busy, it’s Summer, it’s the holidays…the pro doesn’t except those. They stick to the plan.

They stick to their nutrition plan no matter what. Calorie deficits for weight loss, calorie neutral for maintenance.

Summer, holidays, birthdays, work donuts, work lunches, good day celebration, bad day celebration…they stick to the plan.

Think about the fittest and healthy person you know. Surely they deal with the same existential bullshit we all face…they still show up no matter what.

The amateur does not show up every day. They’re occasional, not daily.

The amateur says we’ll start over on Monday and abuse the weekend.

What happens when pandemic destroys your system?

Your own little micro health care system of going to the gym, post-workout shake, salad for lunch and cooked protein for dinner…that automated system your brain developed (nice work!)

The professional creates a new system, even when it’s temporary, especially when it’s temporary.

What could that professional look like?

They follow a program online. Whether it’s through an app or live streamed yoga or those live stream boot camp classes that look like step aerobics classes…they commit to a schedule and show up every day.

They schedule daily walks outside.

They commit to time-restricted eating windows (intermittent fasting) to establish a new discipline around calorie consumption

One more thing about Resistance.

Stephen Pressfield is spiritual.  He believes in God (as he writes in his book)…yay or nay, I couldn’t care less.  Everyone’s spiritual in some way.  Between the laws of nature, a life full of taking risks and pursuing goals…we all get there.

He writes…

“Resistance is the most toxic force on the planet.  To yield to Resistance deforms our spirit.  If you believe in God you must declare Resistance evil for it prevents us from achieving the life intended.”

I like this. If you’ve ever tried and failed at something important, you also understand this. If you declare something as evil, you’ll fight hard to win.  It’s an effective tool to get it right. 

The war of health is a fight we all battle daily.

Ask yourself everyday when you wake up, what would the professional do?

When you feel like quitting, ask yourself, is this Resistance?  Keep going. 

I hope the words Resistance, Professional and Amateur now have meaning and give you some tools to win the health battle.