One of the things I love about working out is that many of the lessons I’ve learned in the gym also apply to life. Principles that I’ve learned while chasing my fitness goals also apply when chasing goals outside the gym. I like that working out makes me stronger mentally and not just physically.

Maybe that doesn’t sound right to you. Trust me, we all know the guy who lives in the gym but can’t even spell dumbbell. The guy who can only count in multiples of 45. I understand, he makes us all look bad. But that guy aside, there are a few gym principles that are just as valid in daily life.

With that in mind, here are five lessons I’ve learned through years of working out that also apply to life:

 

Never take Monday off

Monday sets the tone for the week. It’s the New Years Day of the new week. If you miss your workout on Monday then you’ve missed the opportunity to start the week off headed in the right direction. It’s a fact of life that if you don’t set the tone for the week for yourself, the tone will be set for you by your circumstances or by someone else. Monday is your opportunity to take the bull by the horns and enforce your will on the week. Do so.

 

Never quit halfway

The biggest problem with quitting halfway through is that you not only miss out on the reward of finishing, but you also teach yourself how to quit. Quitting is one of those things that gets easier to do the more you do it.

My grandmother taught me this rhyme when I was very young:

When a job is once begun, never leave it till it’s done.

Whether it be great or small, do it well or not at all.

Quitting is the weak choice. It is the final failure. Quitting is the easiest thing in the world to do. Finishing what you start takes perseverance and guts.

Or as my good friend Eddie used to say in the gym every day, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish!”

 

Never compare yourself to others

This is one of the most important lessons you can teach yourself in the gym: everyone loses the comparison game. Everyone.

There will always be someone in better shape than you. There will always be someone in worse shape than you. You don’t know the journey anyone else has taken to get where they are so don’t try to tear them down to build yourself up. And don’t tear yourself down by comparing yourself to someone who you think is doing better than you are. You don’t know the opportunities they’ve had that you weren’t given. And they have their own insecurities.

The only person you should compare yourself with is the person you were yesterday. That is the one person you need to beat today in order to win.

 

Always show up

Showing up is half the battle. Each of us has the friend that I call the “trooper.” This is the friend who always shows up. They may not be the best or the smartest or the strongest, but they always show up. There is something to be said for the simple act of showing up day in and day out.

And eventually the person who always shows up will end up being the best, the smartest, and the strongest.

 

Always give 100 percent

Some days your 100 percent will be the same as your 50 percent would be on another day. That is not a good excuse for giving less than your full focus, time, and energy to the task at hand. You are responsible for giving your all each and every day; you aren’t responsible for what your all looks like compared to a different day.

Just give 100 percent of your ability any given day, every day given; the results will take care of themselves.