Small Wins and Constant Progress: Where Happiness Evolves into Confidence

Going to the gym is all about being fit, healthy and energetic. One step further, the gym is known for its elixir-like effects on mental health and boosting mood.

But apart from these “cliche” advantages, there exists a key untold advantage that everyone is experiencing but no one seems to talk about : One gets to experience the process of gaining confidence as vividly as one can.

Everyone speaks of gaining confidence by doing physical exercises but from where does it originate?

Does confidence come by giving up day-to-day tasks and embracing a gym-centric schedule?

Or by not eating unhealthy foods?

Or through shutting out yourself from the external world and focusing only and only on your body?

The problem with the current narrative is that it depicts physical exercises as something that is only meant for hard-ass individuals whose social life is nearly non-existent. But is that the truth?

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What exactly happens when you newly enroll in a gym or get started with exercising?

Just like any new endeavor, you will suck at it. You will feel insecure and sometimes embarrassed. But as you start taking baby steps towards learning the art, results will be visible.

But unlike any other endeavor, all the efforts you put into the process will translate into results and ONLY YOU will reap it. You yourself will become a living example of your efforts and hard work. Your determination, sacrifice, and tough mentality will become your permanent attire. You carry your hard work everywhere you go.

And as days pass by you will see yourself getting stronger. Now you are lifting heavier weights than what you used to lift a month ago. You can easily run the distance which you couldn’t even dream of covering on your legs.

These visible changes, when your efforts translate into results give you motivation. You come to the gym to progress. You want to get fitter, leaner, or stronger. Here’s how the journey progressed

Insecurity -> Efforts -> Results -> Happy for yourself -> More efforts -> Constant Progress

This is where confidence comes in. Unannounced and stealthily. All the process and mentality you developed around the gym slowly starts seeping into other aspects of your life. You start viewing everything in the lens progressive overload. Also, you start appreciating the way you look. Appreciation slowly turns to love. And there is it! You start loving yourself, after all, you have put so much effort into making yourself!

This is the point where effort, happiness, confidence, and self-love coincide.

And the life goes on…

Cheers!

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This post was previously published on medium.com.

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