when you don't want what you need

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The other day, I was thinking of all the things I want. I want to not feel tired, I want to not be hungry and only be able to take two bites of a meal before my stomach is full, I want to look down at my belly and not be reminded of Aliens as the little parasite moves around. All of these things are normal though. In fact, they are signs that I'm having a healthy pregnancy. So what's wrong with me?

Aside from the lifeforce leaching parasite, I think a lot of people actually know what I'm talking about. You get so excited about these things you want, that what you need drops by the side. In the gym, including myself, I've heard people say how much they want to lose those last five pounds or lift just a few kilos heavier. They get excited about Crossfit and want to reach all these high levels of performance right away. It all sounds good. Plus, goals are powerful things to have. There is nothing wrong with that.

However, we can't forget about what we need on our way to attaining what we want. We need to be healthy. We need to learn self control/restraint and healthy living habits before tackling ways to get rid of those last five pounds. What good does it do you to either starve or be an exercise bulimic so you can lose five pounds? That's not a healthy, sustainable lifestyle. What good is a heavy bench press when you can't squat half that weight? Most of your activities of daily living, leisure, and recreation involve movement of your core and lower limbs. If you're functional strength is lacking, the gains you do make will not be balanced. Boo! That's a lot of work going into wants and skipping of the must-haves.

I don't mean to be Debbie Downer (ok, maybe I do), but it is good to give yourself a mental check when you feel the rush of excitement for new goals dealing with what you want. Ask yourself if you have or have not met the requirements for what you need. Before going for the aesthetic goals, have you met the functional ones? It may draw out the timeline, but it will end up being easier.

So to all those people who say they need to get in shape before coming to my gym. Think about what you need. If exercises and workouts and be modified for you to help you get fit safely, do you need ramp up time? Maybe you just want to take it easy with your workouts? Will that help you get to where you need to be? If you've been doing that for some time and have not gotten the results you NEED, then maybe it is not what you need but what you WANT. Switch gears. It's hard to admit, but skipping what you need is a short cut. Suck it up, stop cutting corner, and go get what you need.