Move Yourself Out of Your Own Way
What does a Stoic philosopher born in Turkey in 50 AD have anything to do with working out, you say? Well, quite a lot. There’s a lot I could talk about when it comes to the benefits ofthe Discourses of Epictetus—we could talk about how you need to only worry about the things that are in your control (i.e. your emotions and your reactions to things that aren’t in your control). We could also talk about how he mentions that we all have to fulfill our duties in society (i.e. be a present husband, be a loving brother, be a reliable friend, etc). But, the part that I think can be directly related back to working out is this: Epictetus constantly mentions that you have to move yourself out of your own way, and I think that’s relevant now more than ever during this COVID-19 pandemic. So, let’s talk about that for a second.
You wake up in the morning, the alarm goes off, and you don’t want to get out of bed because you’re sleepy. So, you miss a workout. Or, someone made a comment to you the other day that said, “Oh, you’ve been working out? I had no idea, I can’t tell!”. Ooooof. That one stings. And last, but certainly not least, if you’re me, you wake up in the middle of a pandemic and you’re wondering how you’re going to stay in shape during this quarantine and what you can do to not go crazy. What do all of these examples have in common? You’re getting in your own way. Or, in 2000-year-old terms and as Epictetus said, “I won’t become an obstacle to myself”.
So, you not waking up because you’re tired? That’s you – that’s nothing/nobody else. I get it, you’re tired from work or maybe you have a kid that kept you up late – I’m not apathetic here, but find a way to maximize your time so you can do the workout. Stop getting in your own way (whether it’s your habits or thoughts – fix them. If it’s habits, stop staying up late and go to bed earlier. If it’s thoughts, train your mind like you train your body – tell yourself you’re beautiful in the mirror, over and over again. It’s just like reps at the gym — your mind will get stronger). Someone made a comment about you not looking “fit”? Who cares. Forget them. I mean it — they’re honestly probably just secret admirers of you and are threatened by you striving to be successful. And, even if they aren’t, who cares? They are a completely different person with their own set of thoughts and what they say or do has no impact on what actions you can take to better yourself. Use it as motivation – again, you’re getting in your own way by skipping out on workouts or hobbies because someone said you are bad at them. Screw them. Move on. Now, for the big fish – COVID-19. If you’re me, you’re having trouble grasping with not being able to go to the gym, missing out on social interactions, etc. It’s been 2 months and counting now. I’m in my own way because I struggle keeping up with my at-home COVID-19 workouts (I’ve manage to miss zero days but it’s still always challenging getting through these workouts). I always chalk it up to, “why bother? I’m not doing my full workouts so I might as well not workout at all!”. Man, that’s bad thinking. What do I tell myself to counter that? Stop getting in my own way. I’m the one who is letting the situation get the best of me (at times). I’m the one who’s letting COVID-19 win the fight against my hobbies and my workouts. It sounds cheesy, I know, but I also know there are several of you out there who were doing so well before COVID-19 hit, and the virus essentially derailed your workout progress and goals. Well, I’m here to tell you that it’s not the virus that derailed those goals, it’s you. You’re the one who threw in the towel – the virus may have caused the gyms to close but the virus did not stop you from doing workouts at home. The virus may have caused the yoga studios to shut down for a while but the virus did not stop you from doing a YouTube routine in front of your computer. You stopped yourself. But just as easily as you stopped yourself, you can start back up yourself.
Look, I get it, I know working out during COVID-19 is not the same going to the gym with your friends or your gym buddies and having a good time together. I know doing pull-ups in a studio apartment isn’t the same as doing them in a packed gym. I get it, I’m with you. But, the fact of the matter is, we can’t be picky with our circumstances. Are you healthy and able to workout? Yes? Okay, then the discussion stops there. Any “but” that comes after the answer to that question is you getting in the way of yourself. Do what needs to be done, stop giving excuses even a chance. And if you don’t believe me on this one, I’ll defer to a story my buddy, Epictetus, said:
A long time ago, a Stoic Philosopher named Agrippinus was known for saying, “I am not standing in my own way,” or “I won’t become an obstacle to myself”. Agrippinus was giving advice to another philosopher, who was in bad standing with Emperor Nero of Rome. This philosopher was faced with two choices: 1) acting in a play (which was a career-ending move, and very humiliating back then), or 2) be put to death. When the philosopher asked Agrippinus what option to pick, Agrippinus said for the man to go act in the play. When asked why he said that and what Aggripinus would choose, Agrippinus said, “you should act in the play because you considered it. I would have chosen death because I wouldn’t have stooped so low to even raise the question [of acting in the play]”. Epictetus gave lectures to his philosophy students and used Agrippinus as a prime example of a good Stoic. Okay, let’s be honest here – this was 2000 years ago, and thankfully, we’re not having to make the same, tough decisions as these philosophers. BUT, the point still stands, don’t stoop so low as to even think about the possibility of not doing something that you want to do or planned to do (like missing a workout because you’re sleepy or because of the COVID-19 pandemic). You got this. Don’t give the option you’re not okay with the time of day.
As always, reach out if you have any questions. Good luck out there.
Shane
