One thing that I wish more people knew about health and fitness is that the goal posts are always moving.
What you once thought was impossible, now you do in the warmup. What you once thought would be an incredible benchmark of fitness...now seems ordinary. It's diabolical because you put in the work yourself, did things that scared you, and yet the instinct to think "I should be able to do more" (in that judgmental and critical tone...you know the one) still lurks.
I just want you to know that to an outside eye? There's real transformation taking place.
There's been a change in the visible things like movement patterning. Even if you don't add weight - the increased coordination, balance, and precision tells a story. But there's also been change in the invisible factors. The kind that don't show up on camera (also let's be honest, poorly lit phone pics rarely tell anything close to the whole story). Confidence. Grit. Expectation. Determination.
Keep in mind as well - that even elite athletes hit plateuaus, slump, and regressions. The journey up a mountain is filled with false summits, for anyone.
Goal posts shifting is normal, and it's good to keep pushing ourselves to evolve, but many people have some version of "I'll feel good about myself when I hit 'X' goal". And yet how many times have you seen it: someone hits a PR, and then immediately downplays it "It wasn't that hard" or "I should have done that sooner". They minimize it, and then set another goal further out. No fair!
I think the thing no one tells you about 'arriving' somewhere...is how short it lasts.
It just goes to show - it's not about the destination, it never has been. It's about the person that you become in process of the journey. The person that can practice the fundamentals consistently, that can make time, that can reassess and change systems. The person that can choose strength over avoidance.
Before you set another goal, do me a favor and pause and look back - appreciate everything you've done, the lessons learned, the things you've achieved, and the little delights along the way.
Before you judge yourself, do me a favor and only compare to who you were three months ago. Not anyone else.
Before you think you're in a slump, or that voice says you "should" have hit another PR, remember that there are professional athletes that haven't hit a PR in years.
A journey of 1000miles starts with a single step, and if you want help, we're here to help you take it.
Best,
Josh