Persistence, the mother of everything

I like being strong. I just needed to say that.

I can remember when it was a struggle to press 12 lb. dumbells and curl 8 lbs. Today, I pressed 15 lbs. and curled 10 lbs. In each instance, it was work, but it wasn't that wring-me-out, leave-me-wobbly struggle it once was.

I like that. I like that I can tell I'm getting stronger. I like grasping my arm and feeling the firmness there. I like pushing myself, both for the challenge and the success. I like the fact that I still went to the gym this morning, even though I had to fight myself to do it. I'm glad I didn't give in to the temptation not to go.

I got myself there by telling myself I didn't have to work that hard, that I could just go through the motions, because going through the motions was still better than not going at all.

Someone once said 90% of the battle is just showing up. It's hard to believe that until you start living it. If I think of everything I should do when I get to the gym, I can become overwhelmed. But if I think, "Just get yourself to the gym and see how it goes," that's all I need to get going. Once at the gym, 20 reps for my abs become 50, and the 8 lb. dumbells become 10 lb., and the "I'm not doing legs today" becomes squats or lunges.

The thing is, according to my trainer, the reason I'm appreciably stronger is not because of how hard I work when I go to the gym, it's because of how consistently I go. I work out three times a week, roughly an hour each time, week in and week out. That's what's made me strong.

I'm trying to learn to do the same thing with my writing. Just show up every day and do what I can. Some days, I'll start with the intention of just going through the motions; some days I'll be excited and fired with ambition. It won't matter which%