20 Life Lessons From P90x

As I finished my workout the other day, I realized I have learned quite a few life lessons from doing P90x. I thought I would share them with you today!

1. Rome was not built in a day, and neither is your body. Anything that is worth doing takes consistent time and energy. We all want results immediately, but that isn’t realistic. Any worthy goal requires consistent effort over a long period of time.
2. Nice job… so far. Nice job… so far. Since any change effort takes time, it’s good to pause periodically and congratulate yourself for a job well done. There’s a balance here. It’s good to pat yourself on the back for your progress along the way. But it’s also important to realize there is still work to be done, and you need to complete the task.
3. Don’t forget to breathe. Don’t get so caught up in what you’re doing that you forget to breathe and be mindful of your surroundings. Plus, your body needs oxygen.
4. Have a tip of the day. Most people can only focus on one thing at a time. Try to change too much at once, and you will probably get overwhelmed and fail. Instead, focus on one thing per day.
5. Bring it. Anything worth doing will require your full concentration and energy. Don’t do things halfway. The world needs your full self.
6. The magic comes in the last three reps. Push yourself. Improvement happens at the limits of your abilities. Most people get to a point where they feel comfortable, and then they just stay there. If you want to keep improving, you have to push yourself.
7. Keep showing up. Keep pressing play. Nothing replaces consistent effort over a long period of time. Sometimes when you are feeling down or tired, all you can do is just show up. That’s okay.
8. Ab Ripper X… I hate it, but I love it. Some things that are good for us aren’t much fun. Sometimes you have to spend time doing things that aren’t pleasurable in order to get what you want in the long run.
9. If this is new to you, take your time, pace yourself, and take breaks. Anything new is difficult at first. If you’re trying something new, don’t rush out of the gate right away. Start small with something you know you can do. Then build on your successes over time.
10. Don’t smash your face. If you push too hard, too soon, you might encounter an injury or setback, which can take you out of the game and delay your change effort. Don’t get hurt.
11. That’s kind of like life. You have your weaknesses, and you have your strengths. Dreya’s good at that, I’m a pull-up boy. We all have strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths and weaknesses are probably different from your neighbor. That’s okay. We’re all unique, which is part of what makes the world interesting.
12. Do your best and forget the rest. Your best is all you can give. Try your absolute hardest, give everything your best shot, and then let the chips fall where they may.
13. Variety is key. You can’t go the gym and do leg extensions all the time, and leg curls all the time. You gotta mix it up. Don’t do one thing over and over again. When making a change effort, try a variety of strategies. Adopt a few different angles. Keep the experience fresh.
14. Quality over quantity. Don’t be so concerned about the numbers. Instead, strive for excellence in what you do. The numbers will take care of themselves.
15. Write everything down. How do you know what to do, if you don’t know what you did? When working on something in your life, you have to keep track of your progress.
16. It’s a good time for your recovery drink; I highly recommend it. After you are finished with a job, it’s good to reward yourself somehow. Don’t just go right on to the next thing; celebrate a job well done.
17. It’s okay to take a mid-set break. Sometimes we need a break. If you find yourself feeling stressed out or overwhelmed with something, take a break. Move on to something else for a bit, and then come back to it when you have recuperated.
18. Don’t be afraid to use the chair (for pull-ups) if you need it. When I first started exercising, I couldn’t do a pull-up. I could have given up, but a better decision was to scale the workout and use a chair. Sometimes you need to modify the task at the beginning to end up meeting your goal.
19. It’s more fun to work out with a friend. We all need support and accountability. Whatever your goal is, get a group of people who can cheer for you and help you stay on track.
20. Enjoy the journey. You have to enjoy the process. Most of life is the process (with a few successes here and there). Recognize that life is a gift and take joy in the journey as well as the destination.

Discussion: Which of these P90x life lessons speaks most to you today?