Push-ups

So this topic probably fits into both a secret shame and self-sabotage: push-ups.

Now, my numbers themselves aren’t all that bad. I fell behind quite a bit when I hurt my back, but all in all they’re decent. So why am I choosing push-ups for this blog?

Well… if I’m really honest with myself, I think I take the easy way out when it comes to them.

Now, having said that, my shoulders and I have been through our share of ups and downs over the years. I know that if I really start pushing toward 20 consecutive full push-ups, it never seems to fail—I end up hurting my shoulders. Then I have to back off, let them recover, and slowly build myself back up again.

But… if I’m really honest, I also tend to avoid full push-ups more than I probably need to.

I’m absolutely capable of doing at least a few before switching to modified. They’re just slower. I struggle with them. And maybe I don’t really want anyone else to see that. Or know that. I don’t know.

So yeah… push-ups are probably one of my secret shames.

I don’t really want to admit to anyone how hard they are for me. But even more than that, I don’t want people to know how often I try to avoid them. And that’s really where the self-sabotage comes in.

Every time I choose the easier version before I’ve actually challenged myself, I’m making it easier to stay exactly where I am. I’m protecting myself from struggling in front of other people, but I’m also getting in the way of my own progress.

Maybe that’s the real lesson here. It’s not really about push-ups. It’s about being willing to struggle, even when other people might see it.