Slow and Steady

“Success is steady progress towards one’s personal goals” -Jim Rohn
“Pause and remember- slow and steady will get you where you want to go. If you put too much pressure on yourself for results, you will give up quickly” -Jennifer Young
“When you try to do something bigger and grandiose,a lot of times it’s more apt to fall apart. It’s a lot easier to lay down a bunch of singles than get a home run” – Jim Lee
Remember the story of the Tortoise and Hare? I’m sure you do. I guarantee every child has heard the story growing up. In the story, the Hare challenges the Tortoise to a race. The Tortoise joyfully accepts. Being naturally faster, the Hare thought this race would be a joke. He already had the win in the bag. At the start, the Hare sped ahead of the Tortoise at breakneck speed. The Tortoise moved slowly and deliberately. After awhile, the Hare ran out of steam. Te character got so tired that he could not finish the race. With slow determination, the Tortoise passed the finish line and won!
As adults, we lose sight of the core moral of this story. It is important to work toward your goals at a slow, determined, and deliberate pace. When we want to make a change, we want the results NOW! We want to lose 10 pounds in a week We want to be beach ready in 2 months. We want to double our bench press in 2 weeks. Quick and instantaneous always seems more attractive than slow and steady.
Consider this, what if, everything we desired happened all quick and instantaneous? For example, does true love ever come out of a one night stand? Or, does it come from a consistent relationship with another over time? OR, consider building a home with quality tools, qualified workers, and time tested techniques. Would a house built in 2 weeks be sturdier than the same house built in 2 months? Probably not. Finally, look at the game football. What if every single play was a hail Mary to the end zone? Wouldn’t the games get old quickly? Football games are more exciting when there are long, steady drives that have ups and downs along the way.
When we aim for quick results, we lose quality. Corners get cut. Details get missed. More specifically, the weight that is lost is not sustainable. Most of the time, people get burned out when trying to lose too much weight too fast. A steady weight loss of 1-2 pounds a week is a healthy and realistic way to go I know that it is not sexy or an appealing number. However, with consistent, deliberate efforts, pounds lost do add up over time! The same goes for workout progress. You cannot expect to run a marathon right after you get off the couch. You cannot add 25 pounds to your bench press maximum the next day. Slow progress is still progress. Know that all your effort does mean something. Staying positive during the long journey ahead creates a stronger mental attitude and increases your confidence. As Always, Eat, Move, and Improve!