Hang on to it
Success is a long non-linear journey
I have been doing CrossFit for almost 5 years continuously now. I go to CrossFit 4-5 days a week on average, which is a pretty decent number compared to any other workout I have been to. When I started, I didn’t have some of the basic CrossFit movements: double unders and ring dips. But now I have it.
It took me almost 3 years to get consistent double unders.
It took me almost 4 years to get consistent ring dips.
But we are not here today to talk about the result, but about the journey that led to it.
It was not like I was always improving. There were days when I could get 1 or 2 double unders, and I was super happy on those days, telling myself that next time I would do it - I should be able to get more since I had gotten two of them.
But next time, I didn’t even get a single one. I ended up with a lot of scars on my body from that rope hitting me when I was trying super hard to get that one double under. And this kept repeating. After a few months, one day I could maybe do 10 unbroken, but the very next week it was like I never had any doubles.
The exact same story repeats with ring dips. It’s the same playbook.
Now, why the heck am I telling you these random instances?
Because this applies to anything new or uncomfortable you do.
It’s been 3 months since I left my full-time job to pursue building my own things, tinkering, exploring, and giving myself a chance to do things my way. It’s scary, uncomfortable, and really challenging. But I can also see the same pattern here as in my CrossFit journey.
There are some days when I feel super energetic - someone bought my product, or I saw people engaging with my post, and other good things. That makes me super happy and encourages me.
But then there are days that feel like wtf am I doing? Why do I need to see successes? It feels like I am going backward, and there’s no way I can make progress. And trust me, it’s a very hard time mentally.
But then I just need to remember my CrossFit analogy, which applies anywhere. Yes, I am hurt, yes, I am down, but that’s how it works. This is what makes you strong.
It’s those down days that define your character more than your good days.
This is what I also teach when I coach classes at my gym — today might not be the day you hit a PR. Try hard, but it’s okay if you don’t. You might do less than you did before, and that’s okay. Come back next week and try again.
So two learning which is important to take away from this
Success is non-linear
Many principles from one part of your life can be applied to others. Use that to your advantage
If you are in a situation where you are thinking about what’s going on in your life and feel like you want to give up, just remember that the world is not against you. This is how it should feel. Find inspiration in other parts of your life that can be applied cross-functionally.
One thing to remember is that fitness is a single-player game: you are in control of yourself and your progress.
Building a product or a business is a multi-player game: you are not always in control, and you need to discover and understand others, rather than just introspect about yourself.