In the gym, resistance comes in the form of physical weights. In other areas of life, resistance is often an invisible load.
Fighting against the resistance depletes the energy we need to actually do the thing we want to do. Eventually, energy runs out and we quit.
I like to explain this using a weightlifting analogy.
Weights are resistance. In weightlifting, you train your body how to work with the resistance, and how to carry the load. If you fight the weight, you won’t get it off the ground.
In weightlifting, you can only lift so much before you max out. When the load gets too heavy, you’re going to stop.
It doesn’t matter how positive your mindset or how much you try to will yourself to do it. Eventually, your nervous system will stop your body from moving because it doesn’t feel safe.
The resistance that arises in response to expectations works the same way, even though it’s not a physical weight.
The more you push against the reality of a situation that doesn’t match your expectations, the less strength you have to continue.
Strength here is both cognitive and physical.
When you’re in resistance to life as it is, everything is an extra energy push. Eventually you’ll be overcome with fatigue. The most simple tasks may feel difficult. It may feel like you have no choice but to quit.
When the load gets too heavy, quitting is inevitable.
The solution is to learn how to work with the resistance in a way that preserves your energy, rather than to fight the resistance.
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