The Characters At The Gym
Ever find yourself scanning the gym and judging the people you see? We’ve all done it at some point or other. Before the pandemic it was probably just out of curiosity or jealousy. Nowadays it might be to make sure that everyone is taking the proper safety measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Let’s be honest, it’s rare that you’re there always to focus on yourself. Anyhow, to get back to what I was saying… at the gym you’ll find a wide variety of characters doing a wide variety of things:
- The middle aged man staring at the cable machine unsure what weight he should use so he doesn’t hurt himself.
- A young woman on the treadmill running at full speed like very survival depends on it.
- The senior citizen struggling to lift a 10 pound dumbbell.
- News mom reluctantly handing their babies over to the childcare center for the first time.
- Some guy drenched in sweat sitting on the bench resting after hitting a new personal record.
- A teenager or twenty-something-year-old just sitting on a bench or machine busy texting and posting selfies to social media instead of actually working out.
Look and you’ll find them all. They are at the gym for one reason or another. For some, the gym might be a place to get away from a stressful home life, a place to socialize with peers, a place to work off some stress, a place to work on a New Years resolution or a general fitness goal, etc. You might relate to one or a combination of those things. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you are there to focus on yourself.
My Focus Shift
When you focus on yourself and stop putting everything and everyone 
else around you to first, magical things happen. I can tell you this from personal experience. December 2019 I made a commitment to myself to run the Soldier Field 10 miler in Chicago that spring on 5/23/2020 (something that’s been on my bucket list for the last decade). This in itself was intimidating seeing that I’ve never been a long distance runner. The most I ever ran was 5 miles. Since I know I had a lot to do in just 6 months, I got to work right away that mid-December.
I’m a busy business owner who works full time AND I have a toddler. I didn’t magically find more time to reach my goal. Instead I had to make time and that’s what you have to do for things that are important to you. Reaching that 10 mile goal was a priority to me. I knew I had to focus on myself to reach it so I decided to wake up earlier to ensure I would be ready. This meant planning; I wrote out a workout schedule, planned my meals, and carved out time every morning at 4:30am to get my workouts in. After a few weeks of focusing on goal, life at home improved. Everyone in the house was happier. In addition, my work performance increased allowing me time to spend some time improving my relationships with friends and family. It was a win/win situation all around.
Your Focus
We all have goals and want to get results. Whether new to working out
or a seasoned athlete, everyone is somewhere en route to a happier, healthier, and better version of themselves. However, where you might be on your fitness journey could be very different than the person next to you. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do the same thing as the person next to you or vice versa. You’re there. That’s what matters. You’re there to improve yourself. With that being said, focus on yourself not on what everyone else around you is doing. You’d be surprised how much better is when you shift your focus.
What Should I Do?
We all have to start somewhere. I will be honest, it takes a shift in mindset to make the transition to focus on yourself. Be patient with yourself. All good things take time.
Strive to be a little better everyday. Along the way, encourage those around you and they’ll do the same for you. Soon, you’ll have your own army of cheerleaders egging you on and holding you accountable!