"Push, Don't Punish!"

Yesterday at the gym, I had a phrase go through my head: “Push, don’t punish.”  I think that’s true not only at the gym, but also for much of life.

Allow me to explain.  See, every time I go to the gym, I also have another phrase going through my head: “Push your limits.”  I want to push my limits because I want to see what I’m capable of.  I want to grow.  

I think where we get into trouble is when we consciously or subconsciously get into punishing ourselves.  In effect we’re saying that we’re not good enough.  Where we’re at is not good enough.

In this culture of not embracing process and wanting results now, to use a weightlifting analogy, if we lift too much too soon, we cause injury or setback.  

That’s what we want to avoid.  We want to stay in the game.  We want to view life from a long-term, big-picture perspective.  It’s better to make steady progress and to recognize that you’re on the right track, rather than short change through impatience the good things that are happening.

I encourage you to keep thinking about “push, don’t punish.”  You’re enough.  What you’re doing is enough.  This mindset requires some self-awareness.  You know whether you are giving something enough.  If you know you’re doing your best, be OK with that.  Maybe you will have more to give tomorrow.