Sometimes, in the middle of pursuing a long-term goal, it becomes necessary to take stock of where one is and how far one has come, especially when it feels as though the desired results or envisioned successes have not materialised. If it becomes abundantly clear that the track has been deviated from, then a recalibration of trajectory becomes important. But, if the position of the sun and the compass says that one is headed in the right direction, then carrying on is the only course of action.
It is in the latter situation, when one has been “putting in the work” and waiting for the crucial breakthrough that it becomes crucial to reaffirm the reasons for pursuing a given goal and to confront the hard truths that will beset anyone who has decided to achieve anything of consequence.
For the fitness enthusiast, certain facts will be trite. But just because they are everyday truths does not mean that they cannot get lost in the brain-rot world of content ingestion. Sometimes, restating the obvious, especially in times of doubt, is the compass check one needs. Because distractions abound, and in the garden of one’s discipline, a lack of vigilance is how the weeds takeover.
- One unhealthy meal will not make you fat. One workout will not make you fit. Consistency, with anything—whether it be vice or virtue—is the key.
- For every quick fix there is a longer and expensive period of repair and correction. Do not believe the hype. Or the algorithm. For every hard truth there is a plethora of ego-coddling lies. There is no such thing as sweet medicine.
- Analogue is better. Less convenient, yes. More challenging, definitely. But just plain better. There is no memorable art, music, film, athletic goal, business opportunity, or personal milestone that was achieved through convenience. Fitness, too, is one of those activities that requires confronting the forces of physics, the composition of chemistry, and the physiology of one’s biology. It is not possible to buy, code, or fake a fit body. It has to be built from the ground up, one workout at a time, one day at a time, one milestone after another.
- Small goals are achievable. Large aims are attainable. Grand plans might take a while. Know the scale and scope of the objective, and then temper expectations and disappointments accordingly.
- Time, depending on how one uses or squanders it, is both boon and bane. You cannot make up for lost time; and if we are destined to be at the mercy of our past, we have to be careful what we add to it. You cannot spend tomorrow before it arrives. All you ever have is right now. And right now is always the best time to start and continue.
- Rest is a necessity, relaxation is a luxury. The world in which we live makes it so that the two do not always come together. However, both are needed to live a full life.
- There is some comfort in knowing that “you can get yourself out of any hardship.” Waiting for a hero is a waste of screen time and character development. Embrace the story’s arc. See you at the end credits.
If you know, you know. If you do not, then you soon will.
Rémy Ngamije is an award-winning Rwandan-born Namibian author, editor, publisher, photographer, literary educator, and entrepreneur. He is the founder of The Forge.