If you’re starting out the new year with a resolution to try something new, I have a reminder for you (and myself, too).
It always sucks at the beginning.
And it should be a challenge precisely because it’s new.
When I try a new climb that’s hard for me, often I can’t do the first move. Or the second one. But I remind myself that I’ve been here before, and if I keep trying, I can probably make it go. It just takes time.
When I start writing a new post, I want to stop nearly every time because I think it’s terrible. But if I force myself to keep going, I’ll come back to edit it, and realize, hey, this isn’t so bad after all. With some work, I might even be able to make it good. Again, it takes time.
When I started doing push-ups, I could barely do one with proper form. It was so hard! I wanted to stop trying. How am I so bad at this, I would ask myself, when other people seem to do push-ups with almost no effort? But I kept going. I made a goal to do three sets a day, with proper form. And every day those three sets sucked. But one day, I realized I could add a few to each set. And now, I can add a few more. The last few still feel so hard. But the original number I used to struggle so hard with now don’t feel so bad.
And that’s the key. Persistence through the suckiness. Commitment when it’s hard and feels like it will never get better.
I started doing cardio on the elliptical a few months ago, even though I have always hated cardio. My body is built for strength. I’ll lift weights all day! But run a mile? Heck no!
However, in order to do the things I want to do, like hiking and climbing and other outdoor adventures, I need to have the cardio endurance.
And every time I jump on the machine, I pretty much hate the first 15 minutes. I feel terrible, and I want to quit. But I force myself to keep going, just to prove I can. And what I’ve learned along the way is that, after that first 15 minutes, my body adapts, and I feel like I could go forever.
Now I’m ready to try actually running. This is something I never (ever!) thought I’d do. But this morning, I went outside and ran for a mile.
And it sucked. But I’m going to keep going.
Because I’ve been here before, and I know it gets better.