Setting Your Own Pace
Posted by Peter James | Posted in Balanced Life, Healthy Living | Posted on 27-05-2008
Tagged Under : Balanced Life, body, Healthy Living, inner peace, mental strength, positive mind, soul, spirit, work out, workout
I have a habit I started in the gym a long time ago. It developed from my family consistently teaching me to push myself. Eventually, this habit of constantly seeing if I can beat my own expectations came about. It is one of the best habits I have.
It probably comes from my competitive nature. I am so competitive that I even compete against myself! But the truth is, this is the best thing we all can do for ourselves, especially when working out. Keeping fit is a challenge in itself, but don’t get caught up in what other people think. Don’t get caught up with anyone but yourself.
What I’ve noticed from training with so many people is that a simple exercise class can have a different affect on everyone. That is because not everyone gives the same effort. Now, sometimes there are external factors such as an injury, sickness, or just a bad mental day. However, excuses aside, it is important for each of us to realize that it is not what others think we are doing. It’s what we think.
Have you ever gone to the gym with a partner that likes to work hard? So each exercise, because your ego does not like to be outdone, you give an amazing effort like never before. At the end of the day you feel like a new person ready to fall over. Then, at your next workout, you team up with an average partner. One who does just what they are supposed to and not a single ounce more. Turns out, that after working out with them, you did not get the same workout.
Now, is it the partner’s fault? They are an easy target, but the answer is ‘No’. It’s your fault. You have chosen to be a follower rather than a leader. The most important thing when working out is setting your own pace. It does not matter if anyone notices or what they think. You could be all alone working out on an island, and still be able to know what pace you have to attain.
Don’t wait for others to set your pace. Don’t wait for others to watch you in order for you to give your best effort. On the other hand, don’t feel compelled to catch up to someone else’s pace either. The only competition you need to be concerned with is yourself. Pay attention to what’s going on inside YOU.
After all, there should be no tougher competition out there.
[...] few days ago, I wrote about the importance of setting your own pace in the gym (here). Today, I am going to follow up on that idea, but instead of the gym, we are going to talk about [...]