Why Fitness Feels Hard (And How to Make It Easier)
I recently read a quote that hit me hard:
"The meaning you give work determines its difficulty.
A coder working on a passion project works 12 hours straight and calls it energizing. That same programmer, doing maintenance on legacy code they consider meaningless, feels exhausted after 2 hours.
Your relationship with the work shapes its weight more than the work itself."
Why Some Work Feels Easy and Some Feels Impossible
I’ve lived this firsthand.
There was a time when fitness felt like a constant struggle—forcing workouts, second-guessing my progress, and feeling frustrated when the results didn’t come fast enough. I was stuck in an exhausting cycle, chasing discipline without addressing the meaning I had given the work.
I saw training as something I had to do so people would like me, food as something I had to control so I could look the way they wanted me to, and progress as something I had to measure by whether or not I could see my abs. It was draining. It wasn’t until I shifted my perspective that everything changed.
The Work Is the Same—The Meaning Changes Everything
Some people wake up at 5 AM, hit the gym, and call it invigorating. Others drag themselves there after work and feel drained before they even start.
The difference isn’t in the work itself—it’s in how they see it.
If working out is punishment, it’s exhausting.
If eating well feels restrictive, every meal is a battle.
If progress is only tied to a number on the scale, the process feels discouraging.
But when training becomes a form of self-respect, it stops feeling like a chore.
When eating well becomes fueling your body, not depriving it, choices feel lighter.
When progress is measured in strength, energy, and confidence, every step forward matters.
Reframing the Work to Make It Feel Lighter
The difference between struggle and ease isn’t the effort itself—it’s the meaning you attach to it.
Here’s how I shifted my mindset, and how you can too:
✅ Find the deeper “why.” Instead of “I have to work out,” reframe it: “I get to move my body and build strength.” or "I work out because I value my health and appearance."
✅ Turn discipline into identity. “I’m not forcing myself to eat well—I’m the kind of person who takes care of my health.”
✅ Make progress about more than numbers. Energy, strength, and resilience matter more than a scale reading.
Choose Your Meaning
I used to think I needed more motivation, more discipline, or a “better” plan. But the truth was, I needed a better reason to do the work.
Look at the hardest part of your health journey right now. What’s the story you’ve attached to it? Rewrite it. Make it lighter. Make it meaningful.
The weight of the work isn’t in the effort—it’s in your perception of it.
Change that, and the work changes too.
Have a great week!
