There is a quote that inspired me to write this article this week.

You don’t get better on the days when you feel like going. You get better on the days when you don’t want to go, but you go anyway. If you can overcome the negative energy coming from your tired body or unmotivated mind, you will grow and become better. It won’t be the best workout you have, you won’t accomplish as much as what you usually do when you actually feel good, but that doesn’t matter. Growth is a long term game, and the crappy days are more important. (George St. Pierre)

This quote came to me when I was either scrolling through Facebook, scrolling on Instagram, or tumbling on Tumblr. I have kept it in my quote book for about two years now, and it recently has really motivated me. I have been exercising a lot more and treating my body much better than I had been for some time.

I have recently hung this quote on the back of my door to remind myself whenever I don’t want to do something, to do it anyway. My best example is when I do not want to lug myself to the gym. Although the gym is a short drive, there are always days when you just don’t want to move. But every time I read this quote, I remind myself that the crappy days are more important.

There are lots of different ways that we have crappy days. Maybe we don’t physically feel well, maybe we don’t mentally feel well, or maybe we just can’t seem to figure out what is wrong. With my own obstacles, I’ve learned that in order to appreciate the super-spectacular-extraordinary-awesome days, we must first appreciate the crappy ones. I like to say that the crappy days mean a lot to me. They show me that things can’t always be good. Actually, they show me that things will never always be good. But that it is okay to embrace them. It is okay to not be so hard on yourself. In George St. Pierre’s quote, he says “it won’t be the best workout you have” and this is undoubtedly true for me.

When I don’t want to go, I do what I can. This usually means I get through some cardio and some strength training. But it usually means I don’t have the energy or the focus to do my entire workout. But I am okay with it. I have learned to accept what I can do and to be proud of myself for dragging myself to the gym.

I’ve also learned that these crappy days can be some of the best days. Crappy days make you realize that you are doing something good or that you are doing something you love, and sometimes I think we lose sight of that. We lose sight of our goals, our dreams, our desires, because we let our unmotivated mind overtake it all. We let our aches and pains get it the way. It’s so much easier for us to take the easy way out. It’s easier for us to stay at home. It’s easier for us to finish something later. Pushing past these insignificant things will help us appreciate the good days. It will help us not be so hard on ourselves. But it will help us grow. Life is all about growth. You’re either growing up or growing down, but which way you are growing, that’s up to you.