See it through

I recently joined the local YMCA and have found myself really enjoying getting to work out and de-stress through exercise. Plus each treadmill/elliptical has its own television so I can watch TV while I work out! Isn’t that amazing?

Let me state that I am not a gym fanatic. This is the first time I have worked out in like...forever. These machines, weights, and odd contraptions are all foreign to me. Exciting...but new. So I decide on like my third visit to test out the bicycle. I had conquered the treadmill, mastered the elliptical so I thought it would be only fair to dominate the bike.

So I take a seat.

Press the overly huge “Start” button. Nothing. No lights…no movement…nothing.

I press it again with much more force. Still notta.

I begin pressing the “Enter” key. The “Okay” button… Nothing.

So I do what any normal exercise master would do. I gather my belongings and move to the bicycle next to this dead one.

I proceed to push buttons. Still no activity. Apparently these bicycles must all be turned off because nothing I do will start these babies up.

I don’t know why, but there is something very intimidating about the gym. I always feel like I am on display and that everyone must know I am inexperienced. I feel like all eyes are on me and everyone must think…she must be new to the gym. It’s like high school all over again.

So at this point, I am getting a little embarrassed. Surely there must be a secret key to turn these stupid bikes on. I once again pack up my belongings and move to yet another bike.

Bike number 3 was yet another failure. At this point I am pounding the buttons and almost shaking the bike.

Bike number 4 was the same ole story...

I compose myself and then use my vast mechanical knowledge to conclude that there must be a power outage on all these bikes. Yep, that must be it. Perhaps they are just all unplugged.

Defeated and embarrassed, I gather my belongings and begin to sheepishly move to yet another machine. At this point, I am convinced that everyone is enjoying my little musical bike show.

Before I can finish packing up my stuff, a sweet older lady politely came up to me and said, “honey, I noticed you are having some difficulty getting started…if you want to start up these machines, all you need to do is start pedaling.”

Well blow me down. Couldn’t they have put up a small sign stating that tiny bit of information? I mean really…how was I supposed to know that magical step?

My bike disaster really got me thinking…how often do I do that in my life…in my job…in my marriage? When my perceived idea of how something should work fails, do I just throw my hands up and quit? Do I continue on, still using the same strategy and producing the same (non-existent) results?

Or do I stick it out and find the answer or the solution?

So my challenge to you and more importantly myself…is to press my heals down hard…and stick it out. See it to the end. Finish what I started. Whether it be with clients, my projects, my family or my relationships. Don't just give up and move on, but be diligent in finding the resolution in the current situation. Be stubborn about sticking it out and seeing it to the end.