I recently heard a quote that really stuck with me:
“You don’t owe the world an explanation for your pace. Just keep walking.”
As a fitness coach, I often hear people judge themselves harshly. They’ll apologize for things like limited mobility, lack of strength, or not being where they think they should be. I almost always respond by reminding them how far they’ve already come—or simply by telling them they’re doing great just by showing up consistently.
But there’s another reason I don’t allow that kind of self-talk in our gym, and it has to do with how it affects others. Let me explain.
That quote above is important because it’s easy to look around and see people who seem to have it all together—the body fat percentage, the fitness level, the discipline—and wish we were there too. Maybe we eventually get there. Maybe we don’t. Either way, your journey is your own, and you don’t need to apologize for it.
When you start working out or eating better, it feels like everyone is ahead of you. But if you stay consistent, that changes. Over time, you become the person others are looking up to—the one they think is ahead of them. Stick with this long enough, and you’ll learn something valuable: no matter how strong, fast, or fit you become, there will always be someone stronger, faster, or fitter.
Once you understand that, the journey doesn’t necessarily get easier, but it becomes a lot more enjoyable. You stop comparing so much. You stop explaining yourself. And instead, you start focusing on your own growth and consistency. You no longer feel the need to justify your pace.
Now, why don’t I let members apologize, explain, or beat themselves up? Because someone else in the room—or in their life—is watching them and finding inspiration in what they’re doing.
It doesn’t matter if you’re 50 years old, 400 pounds, smoke two packs of cigarettes a day, and just stepped into a gym for the first time. Someone out there wishes they had your courage. Someone you know is looking at you and thinking, “I wish I had the strength to do what they’re doing.”
That’s why self-criticism has no place here. You’re already doing something most people never do: you’re showing up. You’re trying. And whether you realize it or not, you’re setting an example.
So here are two important lessons to carry with you throughout your fitness journey:
- There will always be someone ahead of you—and you don’t owe them any explanation.
- There’s always someone looking up to you—and you owe it to them (and yourself) to be a little more forgiving.
Keep walking. Your pace is perfect.
