Of course you don’t have to train today. The world needs average people too. 🙂
This motivational taunt was written by a trainer on the whiteboard at my gym. I like the message: “No one is making you be here. Outside are millions of people who found excuses today. But if you want to stick to your plan, let’s get started.”
This trainer may not be pressuring me, but my inner perfectionist is: “Flee the average. No excuses. Anything less is failure.” Perfectionists panic at the threat of being average, so such inspirational challenges often trigger self-defeating behavior. Countless times, here is how it goes:
- Driven by the fear of being average, I create an unrealistic training plan.
- The weight of my expectations either prevents me from going to the gym, or…
- …if I make it to the gym I am quickly frustrated by my lack of motivation to train.
- I either walk out or suffer through a dejected workout.
The perfectionist argument against average is self-evident, but incorrect. There is nothing wrong with being one of the millions who feel challenged to create and execute a training plan. What sets you apart is finding a way to train despite your frustrated expectations.