During a training session last week, one of our long-time members suggested I write about having permission to “check the box.”
She’s rehabbing her shoulder after surgery. Progress feels slow and some days, at physical therapy and in ELEVATE, are frustrating. She knows that showing up, even when life looks and feels different than when she first started with us in 2016, is still better than doing nothing.
At the same time, a lot of people are going balls-to-the-walls in gyms right now. Burnout is coming for people with big new year’s resolutions.
Her inquiry, and the current gym environment, reminded me of something Dan John talks about in his book Intervention.
Out of every 10 training sessions:
- One or two will feel great! You’ll surprise yourself and walk out proud of what you did.
- One or two will feel light, almost too easy. Those mess with your head, but they’re often exactly what your body needs.
- The others sessions? They’re medium, unremarkable, yet solid and right where they were supposed to be.
Most people will quit their gym routine because they expect every session to feel like one of the great ones. They don’t recognize how influential the other 6-8 sessions are to long-term, sustainable progress.
Training while injured, busy, stressed, and/or tired requires a different skill. You have to be consistent without the personal drama. Progress and success can be as simple as showing up, moving well, respecting your limitations, and leaving something in the tank.
Checking the box doesn’t mean you don’t care. It means you care enough to play the long game.
Strength training looks different from person to person and from season to season.
A great session, a 10-star banger, is a bonus.
A medium session is productive.
A low, light, or frustrating session provides information.
The win is that you showed up, even when you didn’t want to or had all the excuses to quit.
If today is a “check the box” day, you have my full permission to check it proudly.