Why Are You Doing?

I recently forgot to bring my AirPods to the gym with me and dread spread throughout my body very quickly. I actually thought about driving home to get them but I was already there so I figured I would just get the workout done so I could officially start my day afterwards. I love to listen to podcasts while working out. It feels like time passes by a lot faster when I’m distracted with a good story. 

Without my pods I was starting out in somewhat of a bad mood. I could hear all of the machines squeaking and the sound of metal on metal. I could hear the other humans around me breathing or grunting as they pushed heavy plates into the air. I could hear music that I would never listen to playing from the speakers in the ceiling. I could hear everything…I could even hear myself. The longer my workout went the more I could hear the thoughts inside of my head. Between sets I would pull my phone out and write down interesting ideas that came to me in the notes application; ideas I might want to explore at a later time. 

I also found that I was more focused on the task at hand. I felt more connected to my body and therefore to the exercise I was doing at the time. I realized how routine my routine at the gym had become. I hadn’t attempted to increase my weight, reps or sets in a long time. I had been going through the motions and although I had still been getting a good workout in, I wasn't growing at all. I wasn’t getting stronger. I wasn’t pushing myself. I wasn’t struggling that much. I was just doing my workout.

I don’t need the absence of music or podcasts in order to have a great workout at the gym. I just need to be more intentional and not forget the purpose for my actions. I need to remember why I am there. I’m not there to just workout. I’m there to improve my health and to see positive results in the future. 

I am also going to apply this philosophy to other aspects of my life. I need to remember why I do the work I do. I need to remember not to just go through the motions when I’m hanging out with my friends or when I am sharing time and space with my partner. In general, I need to remember that I don’t want to go through life just going through the motions of it. I want to live a great life. I want to keep growing and I need to remember that in order to be great at anything in life you have to be willing to be bad at it for a period of time.