It’s a trap. One that most people rarely escape. It’s seductive because it’s easy, safe and comfortable. The short-term consequences are minimal. So it’s easy to let it be. The long-term impact, however, can be disastrous and leave you full of regret and frustration. Are you a victim?
As anyone that knows me can attest, I give fitness and health a pretty high priority in my life. So I spend my fair share of time in the gym or on the road, cycling or running. There’s an acquaintance, Steve, who I see in my gym on a regular basis. We usually share a few words and inevitably he will mention his ongoing struggles. He’s in his mid-fifties and he laments about putting on a few extra pounds and not having the energy that he would like. Then, he’ll make a comment like, “I know you don’t have to worry about it because you’re a super Ironman.” And we’ve had some version of this conversation for at least five years.
Here’s the deal. Steve does the same thing every time he does a workout. He goes through the motions. He does his sets, as he always does and that’s it. I commend him for making it to the gym, but there is no progress. At best, he is maintaining his status quo.
The reality is that Steve doesn’t really want to change what he’s doing. He says he wants to get fitter and leaner, but his actions are not in sync with his words. Which makes me believe that he really doesn’t want the change enough to work for it, he doesn’t believe he can do it (he thinks it’s too hard) or he doesn’t know what to do. Over the years, I’ve given him the occasional piece of advice on how he can mix things up to get a better outcome, but he hasn’t made any changes.
Steve is like most people. He’s stuck in the trap. He’s going through the motions. Week in and week out, he’s doing the same old thing…and hoping like hell to get different results. It’s so simple for us to see that Steve is fighting a losing battle. But how many of us do the same thing.
Whether it’s going through the motions at the gym, going through the motions with our jobs, or going through the motions with our relationships; the outcome is the same. We’re trapped on a mindless walk through life on a treadmill of mediocrity where our desires and dreams are diminished with each passing week, month and year.
So is there any area of your life where you are stuck in a mindless shuffle? Here are a few ideas to give you a much-needed jumpstart.
Wake Up – I say “wake up” because so many people are in this automatic pilot mode that I don’t consider living. If you are not happy with any area of your life, going through the motions and accepting the status quo day-in and day-out will not make things better. So come to terms with where you’re dissatisfied and where you feel like you have more potential. Stop settling for mediocre!
Determine Your Limiter – What is it that is keeping you stuck? Like Steve, you may determine that you’re stuck because you don’t want to change. So you’ll need to dig deeper. Are you afraid of change? Are you unsure of your ability to perform? Do you fear failure? Once you understand what is holding you back, you can start taking steps to move forward.
Take Action – Once you figure how what you need to do, start doing things differently. Figure out a plan, come up with new strategies, or fine-tune existing methods. But regardless, nothing will change until you start making new choices and taking action.
Be Consistent – I was listening to a podcast yesterday between Rich Roll and James Lawrence (The Iron Cowboy). One comment that James made was that many people when they start to do things differently will be all on it (at first). And then they fall off the wagon. In his description, it was going from an A+ to an F. His point was that you are better off being a consistent B+.
Get Help – If you find yourself stuck at any stage, get help. Reach out to friends, family members, colleagues, mentors or professionals. This is your life, not some dress rehearsal, so don’t let the trap seduce you into complacency. You deserve more and you have so much more to give.
