Back in 2008, as a new trainer at Bally Total Fitness, we had to get our own clients. Almost like a hawk watching its prey, we would scour the gym floor looking for members who appeared to need professional assistance. For me, they were easy to spot. They would be wandering around the gym aimlessly, hopping from machine to machine without a plan. Or they would be on a machine kind of working out, but not really challenging themselves. Or they would be in the gym waaaay too long, making a point to complete every exercise ever invented for whichever body part they were working that day. You see, they were there to reach a particular goal, but they were not really maximizing their time in the gym.
I would stand back and watch as someone performed 30 reps of an exercise without breaking a sweat and then pause for 10-15 seconds to let the burning subside before completing another 20. I would also notice members casually walking on the treadmill while talking on their cell phones. They were in motion. And I’m sure some of them congratulated themselves on just doing something. But what if doing something isn’t always better than doing nothing?
Now, of course, as a trainer, I will never dissuade you from going to the gym or working on any other life goal. But what if just “going through the motions” won’t get you to where you want to be? The same time that has been spent “just doing something” is the time that can be used to work effectively and actually move toward your goal.
Too often, we are busy, but we are not productive. We fill in the gaps of time by doing STUFF that, half the time, we can’t even remember. We work to check off to-do lists and we are always doing something. But are we doing something that counts? Is it something that will make a difference? Are we being effective?
Whenever I would pull members from the gym floor and have them do an actual workout, I could almost see a lightbulb go off. The people would exclaim how they had been coming to the gym for YEARS but had been doing the same routine over and over or had never really pushed themselves. And they hadn’t really seen much change. Sometimes, just showing up IS NOT enough.
What is my point? We have grown attached to the hamster wheel. As long as we are in motion, we feel like we are moving forward when we may actually be standing in the same place for years. And I want to take this opportunity and ask you to press pause, look around, and take note of your progress. Are you truly moving toward your goal or are you just walking in place? How long have you been walking in that same spot? And now that you notice, are you willing to do something different?
Are just going through the motions? If so, stop and consider the goal you want to achieve. Why do you want it? Are you willing to put in the work to get it? Plan out your action steps and make sure each step moves you forward. No more walking in place. No more spinning the hamster wheel. And no more “just doing something” to make you feel like you are doing something. Show up, be intentional, and put in some real work!
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