I don’t believe I do it anymore but I also used to be pretty bad about talking to myself negatively whenever discussing my progress in the gym. It’s no secret that we live in a “what have you done for me lately” society. We constantly want new shows on Netflix. New music to listen to even though an album we like just came out a week ago. We want it now. Everything. We want progress now but most, if not all of us, have made giant progress over the course of time. It’s unfortunate though that we focus on the failure of the day rather than the trajectory we’ve been on over the last 6 months. Which is wrong. The judgment of overall progress should always be looked at from a MACRO perspective. I did 20 rounds of 3 pull-ups today. Would I have been able to do that when I started? Probably not. I did all the running in the workout without stopping. Would I have been able to do that 6 months ago? Also, probably not. When taking in our progress from a MACRO perspective we will undoubtedly have much better conversations with ourselves. This is key for feeling as though things are moving in the right direction. So, what should happen when we get frustrated about not being able to complete something in a workout? This is when we need to look at our HABITS with a MICRO view. It’s no secret that I struggle to lift heavy loads. There’s reasons for it that I have to look at from a MACRO perspective. I’ve had multiple knee surgeries. I’ve had an elbow surgery. However, that doesn’t mean I should be happy with where I am now. I want to improve on my strength numbers in order to improve my fitness level as a whole. So, I have to look at my MICRO or day to day habits. I should probably engage in some heavy lifting at least twice a week. If I make sure I’m hitting my MICRO targets, eventually I will meet my goals and will be able to reassess. The important metrics day to day are not the failures that might happen. Those are happening out of necessity. You can’t beat yourself up about them. Sure, I could lift my bodyweight in every single heavy lifting day that comes up but is that going to make me as strong as I want to be? Probably not. You can’t progress without the right amount of struggle. If you get frustrated with yourself though, always think back 3 months, 6 months or even more and compare back to that time. Are you fitter? If the answer is yes, you should be happy. If you want to get better at something, what are you doing day to day to ensure you reach that goal 3 months, 6 months or more from now? Use the MACRO to direct your perspective. Use the MICRO to direct your actions.To learn more about how to make your fitness and health goals a priority and a reality, text us to start a conversation at 210-361-3114.
