Have you ever intentionally avoided trying something new out of fear of looking silly and others judging you? I have heard time and again in consultations with prospective clients that this is the number one deterrent against people starting their fitness journey at public gyms. Well… what if I told you that after 20+ years of working out consistently in public gyms, I still feel the same way! As it turns out, you and I aren’t all that different.
In 2025, I have committed to starting a new fitness journey… for the first time in my life, I am diving into the world of calisthenics. Now, I know nothing about calisthenics… but as a solopreneur and fitness enthusiast, I am motivated to learn so that I can improve my own health and fitness and coach others through basic calisthenic techniques. As a result, I have spent quite a bit of my free time scouring the internet for good information, and charting out my journey by experimenting with different techniques and progressions in preparation of my start date!
Well, last Thursday marked day one of my calisthenics journey and I was nervous. The gym was busy, filled with members who looked both confident and jacked. I finished my warm up, walked over to an area of the gym that I had never been that was suitable for my new skills, and got started. I had a hard time focusing, and after every set, I felt like people were looking at me and laughing. And while I don’t think that this was actually the case, I was clearly in my head… and to add injury to insult, I felt like I couldn’t get any of the techniques right. Calisthenic movements are very technical, and I just hadn’t practiced them enough to dial in the technique yet.
The workout was hard and required a lot of focus and perseverance. And while I wanted nothing more than to quit and comfortably fall back into my normal routine, I knew I couldn’t. I had to lead by example and exercise the same discipline that I instill in all of my clients who undoubtedly feel the same way coming in to see me for the first time. So I put my head down, gritted my teeth, and pushed through to finish the workout.
After finishing the workout, I felt empowered. I felt like I had accomplished something special by pushing through a barrier that plagues my progress in a lot of lifes most meaningful avenues…and that barrier is fear! Fear has always limited my growth…my fear of failure has always limited my business growth, my fear of loss has always limited my relational growth, and my fear of judgment has always limited my ability to be unapologetically me. But by pushing back against my fear-ridden barriers little by little, I feel more confident and capable than ever before. And all it took was putting one foot in front of the other.
In 2025, I encourage you to take the necessary steps to overcome your fears and live your absolute best life. Its going to require taking on risks and being uncomfortable, but it is going to be so worth it. Just start small and never look back! You got this. And when things get tough, remember this… even your biggest influences experience fear! Fear is not the problem, allowing fear to halt your progress through life is!
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