The Danger of Complacency with Success

I've been training for many years now, going through many changes in my philosophic approaches to physical fitness and health; I've had many firm stands on what is best for the body and what works best for me.  And I've always used my personal experience to leverage the best plan of attack for the success of my clients.  But as they have often times succeeded I have noticed a following lull as they reach the top of their mountain.  People lose track of the path they followed and become too content with their new vista.  What they don't realize is that this mountain they are climbing continues to sink.  And there is a danger of complacency with success.

So you've lost the weight.  You have the arms or legs you wanted.  And you've never felt better.  This motivates you even more to continue to train.  But in your success you can also lose the drive you once had.  You can forget about the struggle and your passion can atrophy.

I confess that I am a sinner of my own success.  I am confident to a fault at times.  I am happy with how I look and feel with my body and when given the choice to train or lie on the couch, well, the couch wins.  My complacency is making my decisions for me.  I could train but...I'm fine.  This is a major error.

My back and hips have been giving me problems for the past 6 months.

My Response: 

"Take it easy, give my body a break.  My clothes still fit.  And I look relatively the same."  

My Body's Response: 

"I need more activity!  I will give you new aches and pains.  And confuse you with a multiplicity of physical problems." 

Recently, I've shaken off my hesitations and recommitted to training.  Outside of the new aches and pains slowing me down I had lost the drive to lift weights; I had convinced myself that I didn't want to look too muscular--I know this must sound absurd, but you don't always want people saying that you MUST be a trainer when they first meet you.

After measuring my body composition I had a wake up call.  Not because it was extraordinarily high but because it was the highest ever for me.  My new body composition directly reflected the victory of my complacency for sitting on the couch instead of training.  And I finally realized that I was sinking with the mountain.

We all need a little forced reflection every once in a while.  And my body fat test was it for me.
"So what, I look the same."  This convincing phrase lost it's validity because the numbers told me otherwise.  The numbers told the truth.

Not that we must always be better than we were but that we must always move forward.  We must know that we have been making the best decisions for ourselves at all times.  Decisions that propel us forward and up.  Decisions that challenge us so we must adapt and progress.

I challenge YOU to join me in the following:

• Be aware of the danger of complacency with success.  
• Know when you succeed.  
• Enjoy the success.  
• But don't ever stop moving.