Friends, this is what the path to success looks like:
You’ll make progress. Then you’ll backtrack ALMOST to zero again. You’ll make a bit more progress, then you’ll backtrack ALMOST to the point you were last time. Progress, backtrack, progress, backtrack. Gain weight, lose weight. Get 20 unbroken pull-ups, fall back to six.
But here’s the reason to keep going:
Each time you loop back, you won’t go quite as far backwards as before. With each cycle the hope is to close those loops and make them smaller.
You’ll also notice you’re not backtracking quite as often as before. One day you’ll look up and think, “Wow, I’ve gone a whole year without gaining any major weight.” Thinking in this way will help you keep your perspective.
Many people get stuck in that first loop of fitness forever: try something, make progress, fall off. They give up on their program and cycle through the same first loop through fad diets and unsustainable programs. The stress of the loop makes people give up after the first fallback. In addition, the repetition that a good program requires can become monotonous and boring, losing its luster. People quit, and then start the process all over again elsewhere.
Today I want to shout out a man who has been crushing it since he began his time here: Jan Glikman.
Jan has been one of the most consistent members we have had since we opened. He currently owns the Attendance Record of most visits ever (1,283 as of this blogpost)!
Jan began back in 2017 because a friend (current member at the time) was raving about CrossFit during a night out. Jan was going through the motions at the local globo gym and was interested in trying it out.
He joined our 4 Week Challenge and hasn’t looked back since! Jan shows up to every class, unless on vacation or away for work (and even then makes sure to find a local box to drop into).
Jan doesn’t need to be the most mobile or strongest athlete (hell he might be for his age group though!), but he is dedicated and consistent. Jan accepts the challenges that are presented, trusts our Coaches and programs to guide him in the right direction and shows up to do the work! He is the epitome of what we look for in our members.
The true “path to success” involves what Jan demonstrates: consistency and some amount of discipline.
What you want to achieve can be achieved if you stay focused and have a support system that encourages progress. You will always fall back in the loop and have to start the process seemingly over, but as long as you stay consistent and keep moving forward you will never be back at the beginning. You just have to keep showing up!
If you take anything from this post, I hope it is the motivation to keep moving and keep showing up no matter what life throws at you. You can do this and with our help you can be unstoppable. Get to the gym and if you see Jan Glikman, give him a high five!
Inspiration provided by Chris Cooper at Catalystgym.com