Progress Not Perfection
“Don’t let the chase for perfection get in the way of enjoying something good”
What’s the perfect personal training experience for you?
For me, it’s having a coach that I trust fully, a clean and empty gym, a bangin’ playlist on a rippin’ sound system and enough caffeine to get me through my third set. From there, the exercises could go either way for me.
That’s not the perfect training session for everyone and I admit, it probably isn’t a complete demonstration of what perfection looks like in my training world. Looking at those descriptors though, I often think of what “good” means. That’s a powerful word: good.
“That 20 minute walk that you did do is better than the 4 mile run that never happened”
I’ve worked with several coaches through the years, some I trust wholeheartedly while others I’ve been looking for the door before the first foam roller hits the floor. To me, what makes a coach more able to be trusted is knowing that they’ll tell me if they don’t know something, understanding that they truly want what is best for me and honestly, a good sense of humor goes a long way.
If one were to look at my training plans of the last 10 years, they would see someone who is hyper-accountable. I track most of what I do for exercise, yes, sometimes that means I’m pausing in the middle of a warm up to make sure that my smartwatch knows that I’m “working out”.
I stress over weird days where I weigh in and I’m up or down 2-3 pounds, struggling to understand why my “trendline” looks more like a mountain range wandering from the highest peaks to the lowest valleys.
When the concept of perfection comes to mind within personal training, I have no doubt that it has led me astray far more often than providing me with the sense of accomplishment that can come from putting in a few minutes of planned training to get my body in the right place.
I love these two quotes because for me, they’re true. There are plenty of days where I “run out of time” for my 75 minute workout with 12 exercises and a planned cool down. On those days, I can usually find time for something shorter and less intensely fitness-centric.
The only way I will do those shorter bouts is if I can accept the fact that I’m not doing the big workout with the sexy exercises. If I can accept that, I can engage with the shorter workout and be a happy camper. If not, I’ll generally ignore doing the shorter workout and spend 20 minutes planning the next three days of workouts, some of which I undoubtedly will never get to.
Chase perfection, sure. Don’t settle for less. Hell yeah.
Just don’t let the absence of perfection stop you from enjoying your current moment. If you are interested in a personal approach to fitness and training, do not hesitate to connect with our coaching staff.
Enjoy.
