Keep Going…You never know who is watching
That sounds creepy, like “I always feel like…somebody’s watching me” but that isn’t really how I mean it. What I mean is, your imperfect journey could be someone’s inspiration. You never know who is inspired by your progress.
How I see my progress
I know all about thinking that the progress is too slow. Nothing is happening. My body must be happy with the extra weight. Maybe it will always stick around. Maybe I don’t work hard enough. Or I don’t eat well enough. It *is* 80% nutrition, after all. What could I do differently? Would it really make any difference?
Welcome to my mind, y’all.
When you have to tilt your head and squint to maaaayyyybe see some bodily changes, you know you have some stalled progress. Almost one full year and 250 more hours of workouts under my belt. Plus a round of 75 Hard and Phase 1. Was I expecting to be ripped in less than a year? Not exactly…but maybe less pudgy. And maybe a smaller clothing size.
How others view my progress
My friends see me with rose-colored glasses, though they will tell you I have a distorted view of myself. They look at the above photos and see lots of changes (in the face, mostly).
Other people are surprised when I tell them how often I work out and what we do. I’m not sure if they are shocked because I don’t really look as if I work out that often, or from my descriptions of the creative torture my trainers concoct. Possibly a little of both.
They are also flabbergasted when I tell them I haven’t missed a single day of exercise in the past year and a half. Since January 2021 I have worked out, walked, ran (er, jogged), or danced for at least 30 minutes. Some weeks there was a hard workout every single day, which I don’t really recommend (more on that later!). But most days, I simply made it a habit to get up, get out of bed, and get moving.
What does this mean for you?
When I wrote this post about being discouraged, I had no less than 4 people send me a message (or tell me in person) that they continue to push and work toward their goals because they have seen my efforts these past two years. You could have knocked me over with a feather. These are people that I look at and think…they are killing it! In a lot of ways, I look to these people for advice and guidance. They walk the same road of self-improvement and personal achievement that I do. I would never, in a million years, have thought any of these people looked at me in that way.
All of this to say…you never know who you inspire. Your efforts do not go unnoticed. People look at you and see your progress, even when you don’t. Don’t let your perception about your own progress (or lack thereof) cause you to give up on your goals. You are likely farther along than you will admit to yourself.
