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I recently reached 1,000 days of gym.
This never was the goal. On day 750, I wrote:
“In terms of end goal, there never was one. There is no ideal physique or final day count or any grand event I’m training for.”
Even so. It’s cool to have reached one thousand days.
In my twenties, one thing I’ve come to understand is that experience really is the best teacher. My recent move to Seoul reminded me of this. And the gym streak has done so daily.
When Munger says, “The first rule of compounding is to never interrupt it,” it sounds so simple.
“Of course, consistency is important,” you tell yourself.
But then you try. It doesn’t have to be the gym. Try anything every single day without interruption and you’ll quickly see.
You get so sick you can’t get out of bed. A family emergency comes up that demands your attention. Your 12-hour flight experiences delays. There’s a reason New Year’s Resolutions die before spring arrives.
People wonder how I’ve stayed committed.
On occasion (when I’m sick, or injured, or traveling), it’s very hard. But most of the time it’s easy: I never give myself a choice.
Alvin Toffler wrote in his book Future Shock (1970), “We must consider the possibility that choice may become overchoice, and freedom unfreedom.”
When people struggle with consistency, it’s often because they give themself the option to fail by asking, “Do I go to the gym today or not?” If you need to make the right decision every day, you will surely fail.
I’m glad I started the streak when I did.
Now closing in on thirty years of age, it’s become clear (in observing my peer group) that neglecting one’s health comes at a very real cost. Confucius said, “A healthy man wants a thousand things. A sick man only wants one.”
Trading health for wealth is rarely worth it, and I’m grateful the gym streak has kept me on the straight and narrow.
By far the most meaningful part of the streak has been learning that others decided to start their own.
I started the gym streak for myself. But receiving messages over the last two years from old friends, new friends, and people I’ve never even met before telling me they were motivated to take their health and fitness more seriously is the greatest compliment.
There is no better feeling.
Some people have asked, “What’s next for the gym streak?”
Knowing how hard reaching one thousand has been, I’d be surprised if I could keep this up for another thousand.
Life happens.
You get deathly ill. A freak accident erupts. Powers beyond your control impose restrictions on your autonomy.
But my plan is to stick to the plan that got me this far:
Every day is day one.
