Change happens when the pain of staying the same becomes greater than the pain of changing. I had no choice when faced with change, so this rings true. It’s similar regarding working out, especially in the beginning stages or trying to keep it up.
It’s the pain of putting your muscles and lungs through discomfort.
The pain of the time you sacrifice for your workouts and the muscle soreness and fatigue that come afterward.
Then, it’s the pain of not getting the desired results for all your hard work.
Then, you must determine whether the pain of change is less than that of staying the same. Maybe that’s why many quit their fitness journey before it even begins or why the world continues to be more sedentary and overweight. Here, I’ll try to convince you that your health and fitness, although a pain, are always worth it.
The Pain Of Change
Around 14 years ago, I was suffering from debilitating lower back pain due to three herniated disks. If I chose to stay the same and ride it out, the pain would’ve been too much, so facing the pain of change was a no-brainer.
But that doesn’t mean it was a bed of roses because getting out of pain meant putting myself through it.
While undergoing Physical Therapy, there were times when the pain was too much to bear. One time while hobbling from the car park to the Therapists office, I thought fuck it, this isn’t doing any good. I’m still in pain; I’m paying a bunch of money to PT, and I’m sacrificing hours of my day to do it, and nothing is happening.
The biggest pity party in my head was occurring, and everyone was invited.
At the height of my pity party, I lifted my gaze from the ground and noticed a man in a wheelchair, both legs amputated below the knee, rolling past me on his way to PT. At that moment, the pity party stopped.
When my Physical Therapist asked me how I felt, I said this.
“Regan, I was going to say that this is all a waste of time and the pain is too much, but then a guy rolled past me with no legs, so I’m good. Let’s get to work.”
From that moment, the healing began because I realized the pain could be so much worse. Sometimes, we all need a little reminder that the pain of change is worth it, and we need to stay the course even though the change isn’t happening as fast as we want.
Because quitting will get you no closer to your destination.
The Pain Of Staying The Same
I put The Diary of a Wimpy Kid to shame during my middle and high school years. My skinny frame, awkwardness, and smart mouth turned me into a target for bullying. After graduating high school, I became pretty tired of being kicked around, and staying the same was a real pain.
At this point in my young adult life, I had reached rock bottom, but no one could change this except me.
Combined with a good old-fashioned shaming from my oldest friend, I joined a gym and haven’t looked back since. It’s funny how putting on muscle and standing taller with more confidence stopped the bullies from kicking sand in my face.
Here’s the thing (in my experience) with being rock bottom. Everybody’s rock bottom is different. During my years as a personal trainer, I have dealt with 400-pound clients, and neither has reached rock bottom yet. As a result, the pain of staying the same was less than the pain of change, and these clients remained overweight.
The pain of staying the same sometimes depends on a person’s rock bottom. It might look to the outside world like they’ve reached it, but to them, they haven’t. But here’s the thing about reaching rock bottom: You’ll know it when it happens.
In the health and fitness realm, reaching rock bottom is a massive catalyst for change.
What To Do About It
Quitting is not all bad.
Quitting a bad job or relationship frees you, but quitting your health and fitness because it’s painful is not good. So, how do we remind ourselves that the pain of staying the same exceeds the pain of change?
Well, without turning into Dr. Phil, here are a few suggestions.
Similar to the guy in a wheelchair, having reminders around you on why you’re changing helps. Reminders could take the form of photos, old clothes, or your partner’s nagging and reminders that suggest the pain of staying the same far exceeds the pain of change. Another method is to keep track of your progress, no matter how small. These include before and after photos, records of workouts, or using your smartwatch and phone to keep track of your weight and steps.
Many think they’re not making progress, so they quit. However, when you have rock-solid evidence that you are making progress, it reminds you that the pain of change is worth it.
Wrapping Up
Your health and fitness are almost always worth the pain of change. But I’m a sucker for punishment, so my word is not gold. Change is not always easy, so remembering why you’re doing it helps keep you on the straight and narrow, especially during difficult times.
Now, if only my wife would stop nagging me. That pain will never go away.
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