Going Outside of My Comfort Zone

I did it!

I went to Planet Fitness and signed up for a membership. Seems like no big deal, right?

Well, I came up with a millions reasons why I should wait another week or so. It didn’t take me long to realize that I was just trying to avoid something that would make me go out of my comfort zone and essentially feel uncomfortable.

I was pretty nervous going in, especially after my interaction with a personal trainer recently. Eek! I was afraid that everyone in the fitness industry would be the same.

I was delightfully surprised when I saw that not all of the employees were ripped and wearing sports bras and biking shorts to show off their physique. Totally my own insecurities that would make me feel “less than”, but you know what I mean—it made me feel comfortable knowing that there were people like me there!

Imagine! A gym full of people of all shapes, sizes, and ages working towards health and fitness!

Say what? Gyms aren’t just for thin and fit people? Jaw dropping. I know.

I once had a memebership at another all-women gym. I still felt uncomfortable there. There was one particular employee that would always get on my case about this or that when all I wanted to do was get in my workout and get going. I wanted to work out, not talk to people. It was hard enough to go in there with all of my insecurities but her pestering just made it worse and I avoided going there when she was working!

I felt 100% comfortable at Planet Fitness. I felt like I could hide a little bit with how it was set up. I didn’t have to look at myself in the mirror while I walked on the treadmill. It’s nice not to see what I actually look like while working out. Know what I mean? I probably wouldn’t go anymore if I knew! Joking.

But I’m proud of myself. Not too long ago, I struggled with just leaving the house. I’ve made leaps and bounds in the right direction. And even more, I’m making progress on other goals in my life. As you know, I’ve wanted to confront my social issues for quite some time. My hope is that I can put myself out there a little more and maybe even meet some people and make some friends. You just never know! But that would mean I’d have to face my anxieties about talking to people. One step at a time.

I wish I could go every day. I enjoyed it that much. It’s not logistically possible for me to go every day since they don’t have childcare and it’s about 25 minutes away. I will go whenever I get the chance though! That “me” time is so valuable and essential. Take care of yourselves, mama! It makes a world of difference. And I don’t necessarily mean you need to go workout, just spend some time alone.

Granted, these are my first impressions so it could change. I’ll try to write a review after being a member for 30 days or so.

Lately I’ve been feeling like everything that has happened in my life has led me to this point. Everything in my past has prepared me for the person I am becoming and I feel like it’s finally time for me to BE the person I was meant to be both mentally and physically. If When I get there, I want to help people like me in some way, shape, or form.

Have you ventured outside of your comfort zone lately? What did you do? How did you feel?