I decided to go regularly to the gym 6 years ago to get fit
I had done well at things I set my mind to. I was pretty sure the gym would be the same. Confidently starting with an advanced exercise plan, I felt amazing the first few days.
What unfolded next was an unmitigated disaster
The food quantity was aggressive. The exercise expectations were aggressive. My estimation was aggressive. My body couldn’t deal with the advanced exercise plan. In a few weeks, I was out. I had flamed out so quickly, I couldn’t believe it myself.
I gave up, not even thinking about it for a few months
Perhaps my unwillingness to give up caught up with me. I began to think about why I failed. Was I not good enough? No, I was decently healthy. Was I not determined enough? Of course, I did things well I set my mind to. I soon stumbled upon what my issue was.
I had let social signalling choose the advanced plan on day 1
I wanted to look awesome fast, subconsciously doing this for others. I had let my ego dictate my goal. Humbled, realistic, I started at zero
If you were expecting the story to get better, it only got worse
I didn’t feel motivated to go. Who wanted to achieve a beginner’s goal? I had nothing to show for after months. I struggled for a year.
After a few years of not giving up, I started to enjoy going to the gym.
I got really fit. Slowly, steadily, bit by bit, small improvements started looking large. From 2 days a week, I eventually reached 6 days a week. Not only did I increase the frequency, I started waking up earlier. Today, I can’t live without it. I can do things my old self would be amazed to see
If you’re now expecting a thirst trap of my six-pack for LinkedIn’s algorithm, it isn’t the real point
I realized that the obsession with getting everything fast is everywhere. Faster salary jumps, faster relationships, faster knowledge, faster fame, faster wealth. We want everything now, even if it means unsustainability, like my advanced gym plan. We pulverize ourselves to signal to others that we’ve made it quickly.
But nobody cares, especially when you crash and burn
Doing things slowly seems uncool. Nobody notices. But the grit to do it consistently over your life does something magical. You compound, and more importantly, can do it sustainably. Being good for 500 days is immensely harder than being great for 5.
Getting better than yesterday sounds so easy, yet it is exceptionally hard.
All through my life, I’ve seen people rise fast, and then fall fast. Hotshot investors come and go, founders come and go, executives come and go, writers come and go. But the ones who have survived the longest are often the ones who “suddenly” appeared as really big. Underneath, they were quietly and slowly getting better at what they did, every day.
It is the relentless who eventually win