Work Harder Than Last Time

In order to become a better person, and better at fitness, you are going to have to work. Whatever you’re working towards, you won’t get there by constantly doing nothing or less work than before. You need to consistently be working and trying to achieve your goals to get there. That doesn’t mean you don’t take a break, but you shouldn’t always be taking breaks.

In order to progress, you need to work just a little bit harder this time than you did last time. Stagnating in your progress is because you are not working hard enough and smart enough. You’re either only partially doing the work, or else you’re not understanding the correct way to progress.

We’re generally discussing progress in relation to fitness goals, but this same principle can be applied across other parts of your life as well. Whether it be in work, your personal goals, or fitness goals, you need to work just a little harder in order to achieve your goals. Yes, at some point you won’t be able to work a little harder, but you’re likely a long way off from getting to that point. 

In fitness, there’s almost always something to improve and work harder on: walk a little bit faster or further than last time, run a little bit faster, lift more weight. Whatever you’re working on, you can improve just a little bit each time you get into your routine. Maybe you’re not finding the time for a dedicated workout, but you can certainly try to add just a little bit more walking to your daily routine, or include some additional stairs in your daily routine. There’s almost always an area for improvement.

Be careful about applying this principle to your parenting or work if you’re already burning yourself out. If you’re spending 12 to 16 hours a day with your kids already without getting a break, you really need a break. Be smart about how you’re applying the principle of working harder than last time - while it almost always makes sense in relation to your fitness and health, it doesn’t always apply to all other aspects of life. You should assess each situation and determine if you can push harder.

Getting into your workout routine and not trying is a great way to not have any noticeable impact on your health. If you’re just doing some basic static stretches, or doing basic routines that don’t get your heart pumping, then you’re just wasting your time doing it. It may be nice to take a break from your kids when you do this, but it’s not helping you progress towards anything. Increase your workout intensity to make that time spent more meaningful.

Work harder than last time. Don’t waste your time and effort by not trying to actually progress in fitness and life. You’ll accomplish far more in life by doing so. You'll feel better about yourself, and you may surprise yourself how much you can actually do.