When I started going to the gym I was obsessed with stats. How far could I walk? How much weight did I lift? What did I accomplish when I was there?
And that discouraged me. I had to hit the magical numbers I told myself I had to keep the same pace. I had to keep up. Otherwise, what was the point in going at all?
I was missing the point. I need to get up and get to the gym. The rest doesn’t matter.
I need to break out of the funk and haze filling my head. I need to lose the cloak of exhaustion weighing heavily on my shoulders. I need to get to the gym. The free one. The one a short couple floors below me where I live. I need to stand up and walk downstairs. It could not be much easier.
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Chinese Proverb
The journey is to regain control of my weight and with it my health and lifestyle. That single step is that first step out the front door towards the gym. I am working to make that first step a habit so I can follow it with many more steps. I am on the journey. I am making the steps.
I need to discard the false idols along the way. They only pretend to be short cuts, cheats or dead ends on my journey.
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Stats were my first false idol I had to discard. When I started it, I was convinced if I tracked my progress in terms of calories burned, miles moved, and weight lifted it would keep me coming back. In reality, it became overhead. Another set of data I had to record, categorize and track. It became a road block.
As of tonight I have removed that road block.
Gone are the iPhone apps to record my workouts. Gone is the need to capture the “Great Workout!” screen of the treadmill. Gone are the list of reps and weights.
Tonight is a check mark. Yes, I went to the gym.
With the help of a pared down Health Month I intend to keep my journey going and make it to the end of my thousandth mile.