One of the most common things I hear from people who walk through the doors at Function Fitness is a familiar worry: after missing a few sessions, they say, “I’ve messed it all up, haven’t I?” It’s a feeling many of us know all too well. This kind of all-or-nothing thinking can be one of the biggest obstacles to progress in fitness and in life.
You might hear yourself say things like, “If I can’t do it perfectly, there’s no point trying at all.” Or, “I missed one workout, so I’ve failed the whole week.” Sometimes it’s even, “If I don’t train five days this week, what’s the point of trying?”
This mindset can quickly take over and prevent you from moving forward.
Here’s the truth that many trainers don’t openly say... especially not on Instagram... chasing perfection can actually stop you from making real progress. Progress is not about perfect weeks or hitting every workout like clockwork. Instead, progress comes from showing up consistently, even when it’s messy or far from perfect.
Missing one session is normal and understandable. Life happens. But missing two sessions in a row can easily turn into a pattern that is hard to break. That’s why, instead of chasing the impossible goal of perfect weeks, it’s much healthier and more effective to focus on building momentum. Momentum that you can keep going day after day.
I’ll be honest, I’m probably the biggest example of falling into this trap. Life piles up, and sometimes I feel like I’m so far off track that I’ll never get back. But every now and then, I hit a moment where I say to myself, “Just do it,” and I go train. That one session changes everything for me. It clears my head, gets me moving, and puts me back on track.
It’s not about having a perfect workout. It’s about showing up and moving, even when motivation is low.
That’s why the all-or-nothing mindset is so damaging it keeps you stuck in a cycle where you feel like you’re either all in or you’ve completely failed.
We see this pattern again and again in the gym. People come in feeling tired, flat, or unmotivated, and they leave feeling better. Not because they crushed an intense workout, but simply because they moved their body. Movement is medicine.
Even if you’re not ready for full-on training just yet, this lesson still applies. Start small. Go for a walk, stretch, or move for just five minutes. That small first effort is often the hardest part but once it’s done, it makes everything that follows feel a little easier.
If you miss a day or two, don’t throw away the whole week. Instead, get back in. Keep the streak alive by doing what you can, no matter how small it feels. It’s the consistency over time that really makes the difference, not perfection in the moment.
Stop aiming for perfect. Instead, aim for repeatable. Find something sustainable that fits your life and that you can do regularly, and build on it day by day.
This is just the beginning. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing more about what you can focus on to build momentum and keep moving forward... step by step, session by session.
Remember, progress doesn’t come from perfect weeks. It comes from getting back up, putting one foot in front of the other, and showing up for yourself again and again.
You don’t need to do it all. You just need to do something.
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