It's a Marathon, Not a Sprint

Hey, did you get to the gym today? How about yesterday? No? So what. It doesn't matter that you didn't get there today, or even yesterday. And maybe you can't even go tomorrow because of your schedule this week. You know what matters much more than that? If you're still going to the gym five years from now. Long term consistency is so far more important than what you're doing just this week, or even this month. Don't get caught up in trying to be perfect with your workout routines every week to the point where you feel like a complete failure if you couldn't do everything you had planned on. That can often times lead people to just plain giving up. It opens up the door for all the negative self talk we are so good at so often. "I suck. I can never do anything right. I don't know why I bother trying. I'll never get in shape now". 

Life gets busy, crazy, and throws a few curve balls at us from time to time. I am not trying to provide excuses here for not working out, but rather just being realistic. We may feel different from one week to the next. Emergencies come up. Or maybe you had to work a lot extra this week for whatever reason. All this to say, allow yourself a little grace from time to time. Just don't throw in the towel! By all means, try your best to achieve your fitness goals, but also realize that it's "okay" if things don't always go just as perfectly as planned. As long as you get right back up on the horse and keep going! Long term commitment means so much more than the day to day. I would rather see someone workout only 2-3 times per week, yet do this consistently for many years, than someone trying to workout 6-7 days per week and watch them give up completely after one month. Your health and fitness journey is a marathon, not a sprint. Keep your head in the game, and go for the long haul!