It’s 11:30pm, and I’m shredding at the gym. Meanwhile, my friends are taking shots to mourn all the missed shots that ultimately led to the Bucks downfall. How did I get here?
The cues are there: I too am angry that both Milwaukee’s baseball and basketball teams did not reign supreme today. When I check my monthly calendar, I see I’m due for one more workout to land four for the week, a goal I’ve stuck to since January 2019.
The cues are easy.
I’ve done 12am workouts before, and my gym is happily open 24/7. My gym shoes might be at my boyfriend’s place, nesting inside by gym bag where they belong, but I can still rely on my trusty canvas shoes for lifting. Instead of running, I’ll jog. And instead of wasting dollars at the bar, I’ll spend time doing something I love, that I automatically pay for each month.
The environment is right.
For my forty-five minutes there, I spy four other people: 2 teammates bouncing ideas and free weights off of each other, 1 seemingly lost older man, alternating between leg and arm machines in quick succession, and a staffer, tucked behind a computer. No one is taking selfies. We’re all here for gains and losses, an overachieving community with a common goal.
I ease into my routine naturally.
My gym has machines organized by body type. It’s easy to glide from LAT Pulldown into Row into Shoulder Press into dealer’s choice – Pectoral Fly today. I record my numbers for each 3X12 set as I complete them and sip water every five minutes. I debate between abs and cardio and choose jogging. Normally I do one of four ab routines then run, but the afternoon’s shots still tumble in my stomach.
I document my experience not with a picture but with numbers.
It’s easy, my phone is connected to the “free” WiFi. The calendar follows each day’s progress. It gently reminds me what I’ve hit and what I’ve missed. How my Shoulder Press game is gaining strength, in terms of consistent practice. That means I can up my weight next on my next arm day, Tuesday. How my mileage slightly changes from the Matrix to Life Fitness treadmills. That means I should be careful of machines that don’t ask for measurements.
I think of my short-term and long-term goals.
Working out is an extension of who I am. It doesn’t matter that I had a walking problem growing up: I am stronger than yesterday, and tomorrow I’ll be even more powerful. I work out because I see the progress, positively affecting my calendar, budget, relationships, and confidence. I run because I want to feel freedom, even for just a mile or two. I lift because it’s an easy system of hard work. I work out because in the midst of chaos, choices, and consumption, I find balance in my exercise routine. And simply, I love it.
How can I help you make systems for growth? I may not be a doctor, but I can help. Let me know in the comments.
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