A couple months ago, I was complaining to my wife that I wasn’t in as good of shape as I used to be. What triggered the feeling was a meeting with my Crossfit coach. They got a fancy new machine that measures your body fat percentage. Mine was about 5 points higher than it was when I measured it a few years ago.

Complaining

And so, I was complaining about it.

“I wish I was in as good of shape as I used to be.”

“I wish I looked better.”

“I wish I were better at Crossfit.”

And so on.

Don’t Complain—Do Something

I had been complaining for a while, and finally, my wife confronted me: “Don’t just complain about it. Do something about it.”

Ouch.

Complaining is a Waste of Time and Energy

But she was absolutely right. Complaining is a total waste of time and energy. It doesn’t move me forward at all. All complaining does is make me feel bad about myself (and annoy my wife).

Talk is Cheap. Action is Expensive.

If I want something to change with my health and fitness, I have to do something about it. My actions and behaviors are where it’s at. I have to do things like work out more, dial in my diet, cut out alcohol, drink enough water, and make sure my sleep and recovery are on point. It’s not rocket science. I’ve done it before. But I need to actually make the changes in my life, and stay consistent over a long period of time.

Complaining holds me back. Complaining is deceptive. It feels like I’m “doing something” when I’m complaining, but I’m not doing anything productive. Complaining keeps me stuck.

Talk is cheap. Action is expensive.

My goal moving forward is to stop complaining about my fitness. Either I will do something about it, or I won’t. Either way, complaining is counterproductive.

If you find yourself complaining about something in your life, try to catch yourself. Either (1) make a change in your behavior, or (2) don’t (accept it and move on). Remember: complaining keeps you stuck. Don’t get stuck. Move forward toward your most important goals.