Was I slightly annoyed last night when I got to the gym, in the rain, and had to park further away from the door than I ever have before? Yes. Was it easy to blame the New Year’s resolutionists? Yes. My facebook has been flooded with status updates of how the resolutionists are in the way, cramping our style, taking treadmills, that they don’t know what they are doing, etc. They are essentially getting in the way of routines many of “us” have had for quite a while now. They are causing us to have to do things differently –wait a bit longer, park a bit further away, pay closer attention on a crowded running trail, not get our favorite bike in spin class, or possibly not even get a bike at all. But the one thing we all know is this will die down almost as quickly as it starts, as it does every year.
I am not usually nearly as annoyed at this phenomenon as some other people I hear from. Some of that could be because I’m not necessarily a regular at the gym, or the workouts I do usually aren’t as affected by the new year’s influx. But also, I think the bigger reason I don’t my feathers that ruffled is that I’m happy to see people there. I’m happy to see people getting off the couch and putting themselves out there. Yes, they may make the same resolution every year: to get in shape. They may last a few weeks every year and fizzle out again. But, there is a small chance that one year that resolution might just stick. That person might meet someone like one of “us” waiting in line for the treadmill, or in a spin class, and we might just be that tiny spark they need to get inspired, motivated, unscared. That person may have had a near-death sentence handed to them at a recent doctor visit, or perhaps that person has his first child on the way and finally understands their worth and that he deserves to take care of himself, and that he needs to take care of himself to be there for his child. That person may be going through a divorce or breakup or recent loss of a loved one and is looking for anything and everything to help the pain go away, even if just for a short time. Shouldn’t we be glad they are resolving to become healthier instead of heading to drugs, alcohol, or even food to fix their problems?
I think another reason I am not that bothered by the resolutionists is that I was one too. Many times. Not always on January 1, but I have resolved to do many things better, differently, or flat out new, several times. I have probably failed at most of these. I resolved to “become a runner” many, many times, over a span of 9 years before I finally stuck with it. I have a feeling most of us were not always God’s gift to the endurance sports, or to the gym, or to whatever is part of our regular contribution to personal wellbeing. Walking into a new gym or joining a new exercise group, or any group for that matter – a church, a volunteer organization – can be downright scary. New things are scary. If someone decides to go to a gym for the first time and is scared off by someone complaining about the “new people” taking all the exercise equipment, or causing too many problems, they may not ever step foot in that gym again. On the other hand, if they have a good experience, there is a good chance they may come back. I know them coming back won’t solve your problem of a bad parking spot or crappy treadmill tv selections, but I digress.
My point is not to judge those who are annoyed that their regular practice has been thrown off. I understand it, I really do. My hope is maybe we can all have just a tiny bit of compassion for the resolutionists. Try not to be so quick to judge; we have no idea what their story might be (…this is one of my ongoing resolutions…and probably still remains on the FAIL list!). Try not to be so annoyed with the ones who have no idea what they are doing. Chances are we were all there at some time or another. While we probably don’t admit to it, I’m sure many of us were just as clueless and in the way the first few times we tried what we are now the master of too.
If nothing else, think of them as subsidizing your gym membership. Think how expensive it would be if they never had that yearly influx – if those people never paid your gym a dime!
Safe to say I will have to take a big dose of my own medicine tomorrow morning when I have a cold shower at the gym after my cold run outside (not that I’m still cold and bitter from my cold shower yesterday ). Or maybe I’ll just remember to blame the gym, not the resolutionists.
Comments
I'll confess to annoyance, but I totally get the "it may stick" part. When I have run with or encouraged "new" runners in the past, I tell them it's like quitting smoking: Most people have to do it 5 or more times before it is permanent. So DON'T GIVE UP and don't judge yourself.