The harder I work at the gym each week, the harder it is for this phrase to ring true. Instead of staying “calm” I find myself obsessing over how to get this part of me stronger or that part of me more flexible. It has nothing to do with weight loss (stop freaking out dad!) and everything to do with how competitive I am with myself. As a kid I never played competitive sports (sans a few quick stints on teams to say I tried soccer and basketball. It never ended well.) so the, “I must finish this kettle bell set first and beat everyone around the block” voice in my head during certain gym classes is fairly new to me. I like the voice, but it’s pretty intense. And at times it is impossible to leave that voice at the gym. It follows me home.

So, I have a question for my fellow fitness-minded readers. Are you easier or harder on yourself when you are following a steady fitness routine and eating healthy? Do you find a way to come to grips with your body, and its strengths and weaknesses, or spend a lot of time and energy figuring out how to push to a new level? Is it good to never be 100% comfortable with the progress you’ve made because getting comfortable makes you lazy?

I hope I’m making sense and those of you who hit the gym get where I am coming from. Throughout my entire kettle bells + barre class tonight I couldn’t get this topic out of my head, and sharing my thoughts is what this blog, in its purest form, is all about.