Stop Chasing Your Future Self

I need to tell you something that's gonna sting a little.

You know that version of yourself you're working towards? The one with the perfect squat form and the confidence to wear crop tops without sucking in your stomach? The one who meal preps on Sundays and never skips leg day?

You're never going to become her by hating who you are right now.

I learned this the hard way, sweating my ass off in a CrossFit box at 6 AM, silently cursing my body for not being strong enough, fast enough, or lean enough. I was so busy chasing this imaginary future Maya that I completely missed what present-day Maya was actually accomplishing.

The Lie We're All Buying Into

Here's what the fitness industry doesn't want you to know: transformation culture is keeping you miserable.

We're fed this narrative that fitness is about becoming someone else entirely. New year, new you, right? Bullshit. The whole "before and after" mentality has us convinced that our current selves are just rough drafts waiting to be perfected.

But here's the thing - I've been that person obsessing over progress photos, measuring every inch of my body, weighing myself daily. You know what I discovered? The goalpost never stops moving.

When I finally hit my "goal weight," suddenly it wasn't about the number on the scale anymore. Now I needed visible abs. Then it was about lifting heavier. Then it was about running faster. The future self I was chasing kept... well, running away from me.

The Shift That Changes Everything

About two years into my fitness journey, something clicked during a particularly brutal workout. I was halfway through a set of thrusters (if you know, you know), feeling like I might die, when I had this weird moment of clarity:

I wasn't doing this workout to become someone else. I was doing it because I was exactly the type of person who does hard things.

That shift from "becoming" to "being" changed everything.

Instead of working out to earn my confidence, I started working out as an expression of it. Instead of exercising to fix my body, I was moving it because it deserved to be celebrated. Revolutionary? Maybe not. Life-changing? Absolutely.

How to Fall Back in Love with the Process

If you're tired of feeling like you're constantly failing some impossible standard, here's how to flip the script:

1. Start Keeping a "Wins" Journal

Every day after your workout, write down ONE thing that felt good. Not what you did wrong or what you need to improve - just one win.

"My form felt solid today." "I showed up even though I didn't want to." "I laughed with my gym buddy between sets."

This isn't toxic positivity - it's training your brain to notice what's working instead of only seeing what's broken.

2. Change Your Workout Metric

Stop tracking everything like you're preparing for the Olympics. Instead of obsessing over weights, times, and measurements, start paying attention to:

• How your mood shifts after training
• How much deeper you sleep on workout days
• How much more energy you have throughout the week
• How differently you carry yourself

Your body is not a machine to be optimized - it's your home. Start treating it like one.

3. Create Rituals, Not Just Routines

There's a difference between going through the motions and creating meaningful rituals around your training.

Maybe it's the specific playlist you listen to on your way to the gym. Maybe it's the coffee you make afterward. Maybe it's the way you lay out your clothes the night before.

These small rituals signal to your brain that this time is sacred - it's not just another item on your to-do list.

4. Stop Training Like You're Being Punished

Real talk - if your workout feels like penance for last night's pizza, you're doing it wrong.

Movement should feel like a celebration of what your body can do, not punishment for what you ate. The minute you start using exercise as a way to "earn" food or "burn off" mistakes, you've turned something powerful into something punitive.

5. Find Your People (and Ditch the Energy Vampires)

You know that person at the gym who's always complaining about their body or comparing themselves to everyone else? Yeah, stop working out with them.

Surround yourself with people who celebrate small wins, who show up consistently without drama, who make you laugh between sets. Your training partners should make you feel stronger, not smaller.

The Permission You've Been Waiting For

Here's what I wish someone had told me three years ago:

You don't need to earn the right to feel proud of yourself.

You don't need to hit a certain squat number or fit into a certain size jeans to deserve to feel confident in your own skin. You don't need to have visible abs to wear that cute sports bra. You don't need to run a sub-8-minute mile to call yourself a runner.

The version of yourself that you're working toward? She's not some distant future possibility. She's the person who shows up today, imperfectly and consistently.

She's the person who chooses the harder thing when no one's watching. She's the person who celebrates small victories and learns from setbacks without making them mean something's wrong with her.

She's already here. She's been here all along.

Your Next Move

So here's my challenge for you: For the next two weeks, show up to your workouts with zero agenda except to be present in your body.

Don't track anything. Don't measure anything. Don't compare anything.

Just move, breathe, and notice what it feels like to inhabit your body without judgment.

I guarantee you'll discover something about yourself that no progress photo could ever capture.

Because here's the secret the transformation industry doesn't want you to know: You were never broken to begin with.

You were just taught to see yourself that way.

What's one thing about your current fitness journey that you're actually proud of? Don't overthink it - just the first thing that comes to mind. Drop it in the comments because I bet it's cooler than you think it is.