What Are You Making More Difficult?

The gym I’ve been going to since moving back to Canada has two different rooms. The main room where all the machines and free weights are and a separate room with an open floor space with some extra things in it (like punching bags).

Anyways, the type of workouts I usually do are floor based. I use free weights and do plyometrics (jumping exercises) in a 5x5 foot space (approximately).

Although I can walk into a gym no problem now and know what I’m doing (this was not always the case), I still get awkward when I have to work out in front of other people.

So, what I’ve been doing since going to this gym is taking all the equipment I need from the main room where everyone else is, into this smaller room by myself to do my workout.

I end up going back and forth 2 - 3 times to get everything I need.

This small room doesn’t have as good circulation, so I’m always hotter than normal.

You also can’t hear the music from this room and as I follow instructions from a video, I rely on the music at the gym as I can’t play music and the videos I listen to at the same time.

I realized a couple weeks ago that I was not enjoying my workouts as much as normal because I was hotter, had no music, plus having to lug everything back and forth. And for what? All because I didn’t want people to judge me when I was working out.

Huhhhhh? Since when did I care what people thought of me?!

After having this thought, I decided that the next day I would workout in the main room to get over this fear I created within myself.

At first, I was really uncomfortable. I made the floor space I needed and every time I could, I was looking around to see who was watching me. 

When I was looking around, everyone was doing their own thing - weight training using free weight or machines, people using doing cardio on treadmills, etc. 

And then there was me - the only one jumping around. But boy, I felt great!

I was able to start my workout quicker as all the equipment was there. I was a more comfortable temperature because there was air flow. I could also hear the music!

AND the thing I noticed more? I was pushing myself HARDER than I would if I was in that smaller room.

The other’s around me were inspiring me to keep going because they weren’t stopping.

Why had I not done this sooner?

A couple of days later, during my workout on an uncomfortably hot day, I mentioned to a few others around me how much hotter it was in the building.

The one guy said to me, “It must be worst for you because you’re working the hardest!”

This comment made me again question why was I so worried before?

My silly Ego was just doing too well at his job again. He only tries to keep us safe after all. You can’t fault him for that but you don’t always need to go along with what he says.

But by rising above your Ego, you will start raising his threshold.

So, how are you playing it safe right now? How are you inconveniencing yourself? How are you going to rise above it all?

I’d love for each of you to look at situations in your life that you know could be better if you were to step above your fear, above your Ego trying to keep you safe.

Take one small step or a big step. ANY STEP is a step forward and you should be PROUD of that. Celebrate every step!