At the margins

Too many people, when the exercise, stop way before they should 'cause they got something inside their mind that says, "aw, thats too much pain."

Flopping through a modified P90X routine (P80X?) this morning I was struck by this little pearl. Pushing out pushups on the floor of my living room, I neared the end of each set with my arms wobbling like spaghetti on the last couple of reps. On the last couple pushes, form goes out the window and it's just about getting it done. Whether I get it done on that last rep or two, in the moment, feels like it has very little to do with physical strength. At that point, it is all about mental resolve and a battle of you versus yourself. I find that when I am feeling confident about other things in my life, when I am in a positive mindset, that's when those last few reps can happen--when the pain is manageable and when you can get some real work done. After all, workouts are like life in that the real progress gets made on the margins. At meetings, sticking around with folks after things break up to ask and answer questions often reveals new ideas, problems, and perspectives. At networking events, bouncing off someone that has also stayed an extra 15 minutes proves the connection of a lifetime. At parties, mini-parties on the fringes are often the most fun part of the night. Entrepreneurs operating at the fringe of a company or an industry, situating themselves in the vanguard, are situating themselves for success. In a workout, also, it's all about work put in at the margins. Everything else is going through the motions. Margins vs. Motions.