I’ve been getting several messages from readers lately that have my Spidey senses tingling.
Here are a few examples:
“I’ve been training 3 times a week for 16 weeks. It’s going well and I see changes, but I’m not sure if my progress is good enough or what I’m missing.”
“I’m afraid my goals aren’t specific enough. I feel a bit lost and there’s so much to think about. I’m not sure I have it right.”
It reflects a question I’ve talked about before: What does ‘sufficient’ fitness actually look like??
Are normal to ask these questions. We all long for the reassurance that what we do really matters.
And if you’re looking for a place to start or recalibrate, the Nerd Fitness Starter Guide has some great frameworks to point you in the right direction.
But what if our fears are preyed upon by a fitness industry obsessed with… optimization – fixate on details and exaggerate their importance? And as a Magic: the Gathering nerd, I get it. I Love digging into the details and refining the system.
But if we focus too much on “perfect,” we can lose sight of how impactful the fundamentals really are. And how AWESOME it is that you are already working on those pieces. Don’t get me wrong. My message is not, “Don’t worry! Just do the basics.”
For so many people I talk to, it’s this: You’re already doing great.
If you want to make some adjustments, great, but make sure you do Also celebrate the foundation you are building. Fitness shouldn’t be something to feel bad about anymore.
Most of us are already juggling so much: work, home, imperfect schedules, and limited time and energy.
The more people I talk to, the more I realize that most people don’t need more information, but reassurance and clarity: that they are on the right track. That they do enough. That she are enough.
And often that clarity comes from understanding what you can do let gonot what else you need to add.
If you’re strength training a few times a week, taking short exercise breaks during the day, or doing a few hours of general activity each week, you’re already doing that so much good.
Everything else? Details.
And sure, it can be fun to get lost in the details, but not at the expense of celebrating what you’ve already built.
Every representative. Every walking break. Every little victory.
It all counts.
-Mat