I arrived promptly at 10 a.m. with water bottle in hand. I chose to avoid the pre-workout sweat-fest of trying to lock my stuff in the locker room this time. (Dumb Dollar Store lock.) I ran from my car (without my coat) through the frigid air and opted to just carry my keys and water bottle around with me. I was really impressed with Joshua, the personal trainer. He was trim, muscular, soft-spoken and made me feel completely at-ease. (Even though he was at least ten years younger than me and I would probably hurt him if I accidentally stepped on his foot.) There were two other guys getting trained with me. We were all beginners so it worked out well. I’m happy to report that although I’m generally a weakling, I kicked ASS on the leg press…pushed way more weight than the boys did. Score one for the chicks! That made me happy, considering they blew me away on all the other machines. Now, I wasn’t there to compete with them or anything. I mean, we were all just learning the equipment. But let’s face it, When you have two guys and a buff trainer showing you how to do everything, you don’t wanna look like a total wimp the entire time. I didn't care that it was a “judgment free zone”...I still didn’t wanna feel like an idiot. It’s a personal thing for me. That competitive spark that gets triggered when I’m facing off with someone. Sorry. It just happens.
No. Wait a minute. I’m not sorry. A little healthy competition is good for everyone. It makes us better – stronger – at whatever it is we’re attempting to do. Whether it’s who can make the best chocolate chip cookies, or who can run the better race, or who can push more weight on the leg press…Whatever the situation, a little competitiveness can be a very good thing. It means we are challenging ourselves. We should always strive to make improvements to ourselves and what we can achieve. Of course, some people let their competitiveness take over their lives. That’s never a good thing. But in this day and age, too many people just get what they want whenever they want it. Well, guess what? That’s not how real life always works. At least, not for most regular Joes out there. Most of us have to pay our dues so to speak. And some of us just never seem to catch a break. But we can all benefit from pushing ourselves just a little more. Even if we’re simply competing with ourselves. We should always be looking for new ways to out-do ourselves. Why not? Why settle for average if you know you can do better? I’m not saying average isn’t good enough. It can be plenty. As long as that’s your best. Otherwise, you’re just playin’ second fiddle to a third string quarterback who’s riding the bench for the entire season. (Say that three times, fast…)
Here’s my challenge to you…my own little Circuit Training Challenge: Today, whatever task you choose (even one that seems mundane to you) try to do it a little better than when you did it before. Maybe that means you’ll do the laundry before the pile overtakes your closet and walks out on its own. Maybe that means you’ll return a client phone call a little quicker and with a smile in your voice. Maybe it means you'll run for two minutes longer on the treadmill than you normally do. Maybe you’ll pack your kids lunches the night before school instead of rushing around in the morning. Maybe you’ll be nicer to that person who works at the desk next to you. Pick just one thing and try to do it better today than you did it yesterday. Improving ourselves, in even the smallest ways, should be part of our journey. Put yourself through the circuit. Strive to do something better. And kick some ass!