Best Time to Start a New Training Program Part II: Ask a PT

In last week’s blog, we discussed whether it is best to start a new training program in January or begin in December despite the holiday chaos. In this week’s blog, we are focusing on the pursuit of perfection and how it can hold you back.

Start a New Training Program Now or Wait for January?

Question: In your blog last week, you said to stop chasing perfection. Could you expand on that?

Answer: I am one of those people who has had plenty of ideas to improve my life but rarely implement them. Why? Because I try to make everything perfect before I start.

If I want to lose weight, I create detailed plans for dieting and a new exercise routine. During the planning process, I either get overwhelmed or fixate on small, insignificant details.

In the end, nothing gets done. I become frustrated and waste too much time.

This is something I have seen affect many gym-goers.

In last week’s blog, I said I understand where this mindset comes from, and I gave advice that may suit those people. However, I also said it is better to start now rather than wait for everything to be perfect.

I stand by that completely.

Everything I have accomplished has come from taking action early rather than waiting for the perfect moment. Nine years ago, I decided to start a podcast with a friend. We recorded the first episode a week later.

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It was terrible, but it got things moving. The following week was a little better. The week after that was better again.

If you look back at your own achievements, many probably began in a chaotic way rather than with a perfectly structured plan.

This approach does not work for everything. You cannot decide to become a surgeon and immediately pick up a scalpel.

However, when you start a new training program, it works very well.

Do You Need to Do Crunches for a Six Pack?

Go for a walk today. Join a gym and try a few machines. Reduce your portion size slightly at dinner. None of these actions will change your life overnight, but they get the ball rolling.

You can improve as you go. By the time everything is organised, you will already be ahead of someone who spent weeks building the “perfect” plan but never started. You will be fitter, more experienced, and aware of what works for you.

The phrase “done is better than perfect” really does apply here.