I lift every morning and often train at night as well. Beyond the gains to my strength and fitness, lifting has taught me lots about life. It has reinforced certain things and confirmed others.

Here are ten life lessons I’ve learnt in the iron church:

1: Continuing is easier than starting
· Finishing the last couple of reps, whilst hard, is infinitely easier than picking them up later to finish the set.
· Same with writing, meditation and everything. Just keep going. Starting again later ‘getting back into the grove’ is so much harder than pushing through the pain.

2: I am stronger than I think
· I can lift far heavier than I thought, my mind was holding me back - not my body’s limitations.
· I can create, be functional, and write things people want to read - my results prove that.

3: Growth takes time/consistency matters
· I lift today so that I am stronger over time. I won’t see gains for months, so I need to be consistent if I want to improve.
· I put in the hours now (reading, writing & studying) and get the results (money, ability, products, books) later - but only if I turn up daily and work

4: Find your own way
· I started with other people’s programs, to some success, now I am making my own way, to more success.
· Over time I have learnt how I best work, what inspires creativity and what I need to do to produce the best quality work I can.

5: Criticism is easier than work
· So many unfit, unhealthy people comment on my exercise regimen. What do they know?
· So many unproductive, tallest less people comment on my writing regimen and output. What do they know?

6: Focus on the task at hand
· Form matters. When lifting heavy, you gotta focus or you may drop them on your head/injure yourself.
· When working, the best results come from focused attention. Turn off socials, close the door and work.

7: Set a timer
· Timed rests are a Godsend. I now know when to work and when to rest. I now know when to up the reps/sets/weight in order to grow. No more relying on motivation, the clock tells me when to work.
· Writing to a timer keeps me focused. This is my writing time for the day, it is sacred, it is time to work!

8: Don’t rely on motivation
· If I only exercised when motivated, I would be half as fit. Thus I employ discipline to lift daily.
· If I only wrote when motivated, I would be 25% as productive. Thus I employ discipline to write daily.

9: Fuel yourself properly
· Diet matters: high protein, low sugars, and lots of water = optimal performance.
· Reading widely, listening to great people talking, watching movies = inspiration.

10: Take rest days
· Sunday is rest day. Giving my muscles the necessary rest to recover and grow.
· Life is for living. What’s the point if I don’t take some days ‘off’ to enjoy it?

What has lifting taught you?

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10 Life Lessons Learnt From Lifting

Zachary Phillips