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Progress is Not Linear

We all want to progress and we all want to progress RIGHT NOW. It’s all about instant gratification. However, we must change our attitudes and perceptions about the rate of progress.

Progress is not linear. Most of us expect to constantly make progress. We think we must always PR, we must always see the scale drop every week, we must always feel motivated, we must always get that next skill, and it needs to happen right now or we suck at life.

Once we stop seeing progress as fast as we did when we started, we quit.

Stop playing the victim:

“I just don’t think this is working for me so I’m going to try something else.”

“The scale hasn’t moved in two weeks, this isn’t working. I’ll just eat whatever I want. It’s harder for me than it is for you. I can’t do this.”

“I just suck at the Olympic lifts. I’ve hit that weight so many times and I keep missing. I’ll never get better. F this.”

Failing is normal! Failing is all part of the process. We’ll go through long periods with little progress, followed by periods of crazy fast progress, or periods when we regress. This is how we grow!

If you never fail, you’re not trying hard enough. You’re not working hard enough and you will never grow from the experience. If you go for a 20” box jump, trip and fall and never try it again then how will you ever conquer your fear? You can’t eat healthy for one week and think you’re going to see results. You can’t get mad because you don’t see results and you can’t quit.

If nothing else I want you to remember these two things:

1) CONSISTENCY. YOU MUST BE CONSISTENT TO SEE PROGRESS.
2) You must SHOW UP.

• Losing weight:

You must CONSISTENTLY log your macros and CONSISTENTLY exercise. This is where the showing up comes into play. It’s a choice. You’re mad you ate 4 pieces of cake? That was your choice and be okay with that. But choose better next time.

• Getting better: Olympic Lifting, Crossfit, gymnastics, mentality, running, dips, etc…

You must SHOW UP CONSISTENTLY. You must PRACTICE CONSISTENTLY. And you should fail a lot. Failure is part of success. So the next time you think twice about giving up because you’re not where you THINK you should be… take a breath, get over yourself, put your head down, and KEEP WORKING.

Jeff Edwards

- National Coach USA Weightlifting - Crossfit Coach of individual and team competitors - Outdoorsy nerd - Owner and Head Coach at BR Fit Club