It's Okay to Struggle

I wrote this long post about embracing the struggle and I was referring specifically to weight loss and to fitness goals. But I got to thinking more about it and in actuality, life is a struggle.

Period.

Whether if you are learning a new sport, implementing a new heathy habit, learning to cook, going to school, starting a new job, whatever… the first few weeks, months are going to suck!

This past weekend my wife and I went to Smith Rock with a buddy of ours, Stacie Shoots, to take anniversary photos. We had an amazing time! We went for a sunrise hike, took some bomb photos and after we got done, Stacie took me rock climbing! Now what I learned is that Smith Rock is basically the birth place of rock climbing. It is basically the Mecca of rock climbing… and I have no fucking clue what I am doing!

Now I have never rocked climbed and I was excitedly nervous. You know that in between where you don’t know if you need to throw up or poop… that’s where I was at. I’ve gone to bouldering gym and have done indoor rock climbing but man was this a whole different beast!

Rock climbing grades their routes based on difficulty, starting at 5.0 all the way up to 5.15. The first assent I climbed was a 5-5, pretty much beginner level. And I made it up to the top on my first pass. I was so stoked!

Then we move to a 5-7, still beginner but just a tad more difficult. I didn’t make it past the first 6feet off the ground! Not once, not twice but three times I fell. Finally after asking Stacie for help and guidance, on my fourth try I made it to the top! I had to take a break in the middle because I learned my grip sucks! But nonetheless I made it up!

I struggled! And that was okay because I kept trying. I would only completely fail if I had stopped trying.

This goes for anything in life! If you’re trying to lose weight, or gain muscle, or trying to lift a certain weight, or trying to hit a certain mile time, you’re not going to get it on the first try. You may not get it on the second or third one either. You stop. You reassess. Make changes. And try again. If you really want to do something, you will figure out a way to do it.

And having someone to help you along the way will take the majority of guess work out of the equation! That’s why there are coaches!

There are business coaches, life coaches, acting coaches, financial coaches, fitness coaches… you name it! Coaches take the guess work out of the equation so you can focus on the action that is needed to reach your goal.

Coaches are like having a flashlight in the dark. They can help light the way to where you are trying to go but you have to put in the effort.

Hiring a coach is not petty. It’s helpful. And if someone ever makes fun of you for hiring a coach in any aspect of your life, then I would say that person is an asshole and needs to check their ego. Hiring a coach is an act of saying I am not an expert in this field, but I am opening to learning and hiring someone who is.

If you are looking for a coach, I would say do your research. Make sure you connect with the coach and you like their vibe because if you are vibe-ing with them, then you’re not going to have fun. And not having fun while you are struggling is just going to make the struggle that much harder.

Reach out to me if you have any questions, you can email me at spearstrengthwellness@gmail.com. Also, I post a lot of helpful content on Instagram and YouTube so make sure you follow me there. Thank you so much for reading! I greatly appreciate it and until next time, stay safe and be a good human.