No Matter How Good Your Habits are, They Can't Prepare You for Everything
Some seasons don’t come with warning signs or a heads-up.
There’s no warm-up. No registration process. No exciting colorful countdown on your phone. No chance to plan your meals or prep your bag.
Just the sudden weight of something you would have a tough time handling, even if they gave you all the time in the world to prepare.
We all think we know what heavy fatigue feels like.
And I'm sure you do, even if we forget the extent of how hard fatigue can hit on occasion. You’ve trained through soreness, gotten through tough times at the office, pushed past mile markers. But sometimes things happen that are simply different. I'm sure you're thinking of something from your past that emotionally hit you harder than any physical situation you've put yourself through.
This kind of heaviness doesn’t come from movement. It comes from what you can't measure.
While the reps you’ve logged matter, experiences like this help you learn that they might not matter how you thought they would.
They're not for aesthetics. Not for speed. Not for a new PR.
But rather because your routine and discipline taught you how to hold steady, and to breathe when everything tightens. How to stay standing, even when your normal day-to-day slips through your fingers.
I’ve learned, or been reminded of, a few things lately:
- Grace is strength.
There’s no medal for showing up perfectly. But there’s a lot of power in showing up at all. - Rest isn’t weakness.
Sometimes your most resilient act is doing less and letting that be enough. - Just because you can perform, it might not mean you're well.
Wellness is presence. It’s noticing when you’re drained and choosing not to abandon yourself. - Support makes the weight lighter.
Not everything has to be carried alone. And truthfully, the strongest moments lately haven’t been solely mine—they’ve been shared. A steady hand on your back, someone who reminds you to eat well, someone who gets it without you needing to explain. For me, that’s my girlfriend. She’s been my calm in a season of chaos, my encouragement when there is silence, and the reason I remember to keep showing up for myself, even if it is in the smallest ways.
Some weeks, you’re in control, reaching new heights. Other weeks, you’re just holding on.
That doesn’t mean you’ve lost your progress. It means you’re human.
If you’re in a season where the weights feel lighter than everything else you’re carrying, please know:
- You’re not behind.
- You’re becoming someone stronger than any regimen or plan could build.
Stay safe, stay healthy.
Martin Foley - Founder, Architecting Wellness
