Bored? Congratulations

If your training has felt tedious lately — congratulations.

You’ve made it to a part of the process that most people never reach. You’ve trained long enough, and consistently enough, that you’ve grown bored with your routine.

If you see boredom as a bad thing, I’d like to convince you it’s not. In fact, it’s often a signal that you’re doing the right things.

James Clear said it best:

Now, to be fair, sometimes boredom is a cue for change. But in the gym, the real work happens after the excitement fades. For training to have a lasting impact, you need to stick with.

I know — a gym owner telling you to “never quit the gym” doesn’t sound unbiased. But at least I want you to show up, unlike the big box method of hoping you’ll pay and never show.

If you’ve built a routine, belong to a group that notices when you’re gone, and have stayed consistent for years, boredom is simply part of the process. Get through it, and you keep all the upside you’ve already earned. Chase novelty, and you start over.

Good training is often boring training. Whether your goals are big, small, or vague, at some point your workouts will feel repetitive. That’s how effective programs are written.

So the next time you feel bored, don’t panic. Investigate it. It might just be proof that you’re doing everything right.

—Justin Miner