Ending the pursuit of perfection

Recently I had a thought which I would like to share, to do with how training relates to happiness. 

At RWL we have a phasic system of training. First we instill habits into our clients, to teach them how to eat healthily. While we are doing this, people get in better shape. So without taking anything too seriously, like counting macro-nutrient ratios and calories people are becoming healthier looking better and most importantly feeling better.

Then we begin to individualise their programme. This is for people who have a good understanding of the habits and want to take things more seriously. Here we give people specific plans and strictly control nutrient intake, leading to the final goal.

After this goal is attained we have a maintenance phase, where we back off a bit. Return to something similar to what we were doing before and just keep things how they are.

Except in practice the third phase doesn't really happen, because whatever people achieve, they always want more. The fact is, when it comes to appearance, people are never completely happy.

We are all our own harshest critics and it is incredibly difficult to look in the mirror and not find improvements which could be made. There is always someone better than you in life to relate to, and I think it's good to chase them, to continue improving, but you have to be realistic.



So, how long does this quest for perfection continue?

Probably forever, because I believe that the pursuit of perfection provides the happiness more than the achievement of goals. I say this because if the achievement of a goal provided sufficient and continued pleasure then people wouldn't continue to make new ones. It must be the process of achivement which provides the pleasure. After a goal date, there is almost always a sense of, 'Now what?'.

This realisation has allowed me to come full circle on a couple of beliefs which I have held for a while now:

1. Happiness is not a destination at which you arrive, it is a state of mind which you choose to have. 
2. Goal setting is only useful as a tool for the measurement of success, as opposed to something which defines success. As long as you're making progress, you're succeeding.  

So what do we do with this information?

For starters you need to be able to look at yourself and acknowledge that improving your appearance will probably not make you any happier. However the pursuit of great health can improve your happiness.

Identify what you value, what you're passionate about, and spend as much time as possible indulging those passions. For some people that is working out, and those people are figure models, but if that's not you, then don't kid yourself that it is.

Training and good nutrition will make you energetic, it will make you strong, and it will make you feel better than you ever thought possible. But most importantly it will allow you to enjoy life to the fullest. 

Let go of perfection, because chances are that isn't what you really want. Just commit to improving, and become the best possible version of you.