CORE VALUE SERIES: SHOW UP & DO THE BEST YOU CAN

We are continuing with our Core Value Series where we’re diving a bit deeper into each core value of Worth the Work Fitness in order to help you get to know us better, and to help encourage you towards a healthier mindset with your health and wellness journey. Each week we are sharing one of our nine core values that are a part of the foundation of why we do what we do, and expanding on why each one is so significant to us and why we believe each can be significant to you as well

We encourage you to show up and do the best you can each day when it comes to both exercise and nutrition. It can be easy to think that if you’re not doing everything perfectly, you’re failing. Instead we want to change the standard from perfection to sustainability, and focus on making small consistent changes over time for a lasting impact.

My dad used to say all the time that every good dad he ever met had two things in common: (1) they are wholly unprepared for the task of fatherhood, and (2) they show up anyway. Those words have stuck with me throughout not just my own experience as a parent, but in so many other facets of life. Because feeling wholly unprepared for a task at hand is a pretty common experience at some point or another for all of us. Whether it comes to raising a family, working your job, navigating your relationships, buying or renovating a house, or making major life decisions, there is bound to be at least one thing in your life that makes you feel a little (or a lot) in-over-your-head. But even when fear or doubt or worry are threatening to stop you from moving forward, I want to encourage you to show up anyway, because showing up is the most important part. There’s no chance of succeeding if you aren’t there to try in the first place. As Wayne Gretzky said (or Michael Scott for all you fans of The Office out there), “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” If you don’t show up, you can’t try. If you don’t try, there’s no way you can get better, and there’s certainly no way you can succeed. So rather than accepting failure from the start, instead we should show up, do the best we can, and see what we are capable of.

Now before we get any more philosophical here, let’s take a moment to apply this to our health journeys, because while my dad’s thoughts were directed towards parenting, I have found that they are incredibly relevant to fitness and nutrition as well. When we view our health with a journey mindset it can feel a bit overwhelming. I mean, say for example you’re 40 years old today, and you live until you are 85. That’s 45 more years of staying on this path. There are few things in life that require that kind of long term commitment, so it’s a pretty big deal. And depending on how much you know about fitness or nutrition, health is an area of life that can easily cause the feeling of being in-over-your-head. But regardless of your knowledge, experience, or skill, you get to show up and do the best you can each day.

To emphasize the importance of the last part of that last statement (and in doing so emphasize the significance of this core value), let’s break it down a bit, piece by piece.

YOU get to show up and do the best you can each day.

Yes, you. Exactly as you are. Exactly where you are. Not you from 10 years ago. Not you in 1 year. Not the you who you wish you were. You, today. 

You GET TO show up and do the best you can each day.

If you view exercise or eating healthy as a “have to” you’re much more likely to dread it. But if you can find ways to enjoy it and embrace that you have the wonderful opportunity to take care of the body that houses you, you can completely renew your commitment to it.

You get to SHOW UP and do the best you can each day.

We’re not asking for perfection out of you. We’re not expecting a performance. We’re not grading how well you do. We simply want you to show up and try. For you. For your kids. For whatever it is that motivates you to live healthily. Because like we already pointed out, you can’t progress if you don’t show up in the first place.

You get to show up and DO the best you can each day.

It takes action. It takes you putting in the work, which is oftentimes hard. But if you can figure out what kind of work is worth it for you, you’re going to be able to maintain focus and stay committed to this journey for the long haul.

You get to show up and do THE BEST YOU CAN each day.

While we have already established that you shouldn’t be aiming for perfection, you should still be striving to put in your best effort. And your best effort is likely going to look differently than everyone else’s best effort, but that’s ok. We’re not asking you to be someone else. We’re asking you to put forth what YOU are capable of, which is often much more than you probably let yourself believe. So don’t be afraid to push yourself and challenge yourself. 

You get to show up and do the best you can EACH DAY.

The point of showing up is that you keep showing up. Each day. When you establish consistency, you establish habits. And those habits can help carry you through this lifelong journey of health. But each day is also likely going to look different. Some days you show up by pressing play on your workout and putting in max effort. Some days you show up by sneaking in a walk with the dog at the end of a busy day. Some days you show up by being mindful about what you eat. Some days you show up to rest so you can recover your body. Each day will likely demand different things. But if you show up to each day as it is, and as you are, you’ll be able to make the small changes that lead to sustainable growth as you go.

We’ve already talked plenty in this series about how chasing perfection isn’t a sustainable approach to health. It often leads to short lived commitments that are abandoned at the earliest signs of failure. So I say chuck the expectation of being perfect every day out the window. Instead, let’s put in our best effort each day that we are given to be the best version of who we are today. And then tomorrow, let’s do it again. And then the next day, and the next day. Because finding ways to stay consistent with both our exercise and nutrition is going to lead to better results and a more fulfilling life.

P.S. If you find my dad’s insightful wisdom to be intriguing, you can find more of it in his book Dad’s Top Ten Lectures.

Written by Kelly Pruim and Brett Henderson