You’re probably familiar with the quote “Comparison is the thief of joy” – President Theodore Roosevelt. It’s a quote that I have yet to hear someone disagree with. Yet, while we all agree, I think we can also agree that it is SO easy to get tangled up in the comparison game. We lose sight of our own mission looking so deeply at what others are doing that half the time we don’t even know what we are doing or why.
In the fitness industry, this is especially true. Instead of enjoying our own process and journey, we shame ourselves, beat ourselves up and rob ourselves of the joy that can be obtained while practicing health and wellness. We are so worried about what the person next to us is doing that we miss the achievements we have obtained. I like to remind my members how subjective the process of health and wellness is, especially when it comes to intensity.
If you are 68 and out of shape, you should probably not be working out at the same intensity as an 18 year old year round athlete. Can a 68 year old still have an intense workout? You bet! But, the intensity is subjective to their ability, needs, goals and skill set. So when you are in a group fitness class, or next to somebody on a treadmill, ask yourself, what is the intensity that YOU need. What is the intensity that matches YOUR goals. What is the intensity that supports YOUR skill set today?
The health and wellness journey is a you vs you journey. Comparison will not get you results and it will definitely steal your joy in the process. Find the intensity that makes you better than you were yesterday and is something you can maintain. You deserve results, you deserve health and wellness and you can achieve those things while taking a different path, intensity and approach than the person next to you.
You vs You. Cheering you on always!
Cate
