I have always been someone who likes to make forward progress. When I was 15 years old, I took a personality test that included interesting descriptions of my “type.” For instance, it said if I were to shoot a gun, I would do it: Ready, fire, aim. This has become a family joke about how quickly I am ready to “pull the trigger” on something new. I am always striving toward a new goal and envisioning the future. If I don’t have a goal…well, it’s not pretty!

In my quest to move forward, I am always looking for ways to do more, faster, better, stronger. But, I’ve also learned the hard way what happens when I do too much. Burnout can be disastrous. I reached this point a few years ago and now I guard myself carefully. When I need sleep, I sleep. When I need time away, I take the time. I might get frustrated about not getting everything on my list done, but I know better than to push myself so hard that I reach the burning point.

My goal-oriented personality is clear in all areas of my life, but I have been noticing it in my attempts to exercise lately. I want to do it right and I want to do it all. In exercise, this looks like copying the fitness instructor without modification and maxing my muscles in order to finish the set. While this may sound good at first, I soon realized it is a lousy way to make real progress.

Good form and posture is definitely important to ensure movements are done correctly and to minimize the risk of injury. However, it is most important to modify the exercises to fit my body and fitness level. Trying to keep up with someone who works out for a living or someone who has been exercising everyday for the past 20 years only serves to frustrate me because I invariably fail at some point.

Even when I can get past the mental problem of feeling frustrated, pushing myself to the max leaves me physically weak. If I can’t move the next day (or the second day when it REALLY hurts) then I have actually slowed my progress. I need to be able to return to the routine exercise each day. It is in consistent workouts and challenging but not maxing exercises that I will build muscle and make progress toward my goal of a stronger body.

By doing exercise that fits my level and doesn’t max out my muscles, I can feel my arms, legs, abs, and back getting stronger every day. I find this applies to other areas of my life as well. For instance, when I stay up late one night to get more work done, I pay for it the next night when I can hardly keep my eyes open at dinnertime. If I cram lots of work into one day, I need to plan for more rest the next day because I will be practically brain dead.

If I pace myself with my physical exercise, my muscles respond by getting stronger and feeling better. If I pace myself with my schedule or workload, I will be able to sustain a higher degree of productivity for a longer period of time. Instead of maxing out my energy (physical or mental) in one day, week, or year, it is important for me to learn to pay attention to my level, modifying my activities as needed to avoid burning out.

Even though the slower pace seems limiting to me at first, over time and with consistency, I am finding that it allows me to accomplish more than I originally thought was possible. I’ve achieved a one-minute plank – now I’m working toward a handstand. I can’t do it yet, but I will get there little by little as my muscles move me forward.