From the series: “What I Learned Between Reps (And Why You Probably Need It Too)”
If you’ve ever struggled to put those feet on the floor early in the morning, you know what I’m about to say. If you made that New Year’s resolution only to walk away from it by mid February, then you’ve felt this same thing.
Motivation is a liar.
It shows up when it wants, leaves when it wants, and it never texts you back.
Routine? Routine is a completely different animal. It’s not sexy, it’s not inspirational, and it doesn’t care how you feel at 5 a.m. But routine is the quiet beast that actually builds your life.
I forgot that until I walked into Fit One Four, the new gym I joined this week.
It’s small. Raw. No hiding behind crowds. No room for ego. Just you, the weights, and the truth. And if you haven’t stepped into a new gym in a while, let me tell you… that first day feels like dropping into a cold lake. Shocking. Energizing. Exposing. But man it wakes you up.
And here’s the first lesson I relearned between reps:
Show up before you feel ready. Always.
Your body won’t change if you keep waiting for a perfect moment.
Your mind won’t reset if you keep negotiating with yourself.
Your life won’t level up if you keep telling the same old story about “someday.”
The weights don’t care about your excuses.
They don’t care about your past.
They don’t care about your comfort.
But they will respond to your consistency.
And that’s the point not just in fitness, but everywhere.
Want more clarity? Show up.
Want deeper relationships? Show up.
Want to grow as a leader? Show up.
Want to stop feeling stuck? Show up.
Not tomorrow. Not next Monday. Not when the stars align.
Now. Today. Before you feel ready.
Every rep in that gym is a reminder that the smallest act of discipline beats the biggest burst of inspiration. Because inspiration fades fast. But discipline compounds.
And here’s the wild part. They talk about gains at the gym, but the real gains start long before anything shows up on your body. They start in your resolve. Your grit. Your willingness to be uncomfortable again and again.
You don’t need a whole new plan.
You don’t need a new mindset podcast.
You just need to walk through the door and do the work.
That’s it.
So if you’re reading this and waiting for a sign to get moving. This is your sign.
Don’t wait for motivation.
Be the person who shows up anyway.
That’s the power of the first rep.
That’s the start of strength.
And that’s only Week 1.
We’ve all heard the word and undoubtedly we have some image in our minds when we hear this word. Some of us think a large church building on a Sunday morning typically around 10am that meets for an hour. We hear a wonderful pipe organ. We’re sitting in hard wooden pews that are anything but comfortable. While others of us see more of an empty warehouse of sorts with stackable chairs that can be used for many different things. We hear loud music that is played on guitars and drums. Either way that’s really not the point of worship. 
It’s no secret that this is likely the easiest piece but seemingly the most overlooked. We live in a day and age in which community is something that just isn’t all that important. Think about the last time you came home from a long day at work. If you’re like many in my neighborhood, you pull your car in and close the garage door before you even get out of your vehicle. We’ve taken human interaction out of the equation in much of what we do in our day-to-day lives. 
If you were at the church I pastor, Living Word Church, this past Sunday you might have heard something of three numbers. These numbers are very important to me and I pray they gain the same significance to those in the ministry I serve. Apart these three single digits are really not all that impressive nor important. But when you look at them together and see the impact that these three numbers can have, it’s truly nothing short of miraculous. 
Several months ago I read a book titled 
increasingly aware of a problem in our society. There are women in our world who are devalued and even mistreated just because they are women. There are women who believe that they only hold value for their bodies and the pleasure they give to men with their bodies. 
I grew up in the era of Sesame Street and Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood. These shows were built around the premise of community and neighbors. Every episode of Mr. Rodgers started the same way. He’d come onto the television screen singing his song won’t you be, please won’t you be…my neighbor. 
Back to the grind. Another day, another dollar is how the old saying goes. But what would happen if every day had a purpose? You know like a special emphasis that would drive us through the day so that we could find meaning in the ordinary. 
