We’ve all had those weeks where everything feels like a struggle. You know the ones: “I had a shit week.” It’s a phrase we hear often and we can empathise, but we also are here to prove to you what else you can make of the “shit week’s.”
From a coaching perspective, we don’t see any week as “f*n shit.” No one’s health and fitness journey is a clear, straight, positive progressive line. If it were, we’d all be perfect, robotic versions of ourselves, devoid of growth, lessons learned, or any real joy in the process. Life is inherently messy, and that’s where the magic happens.
When someone tells us about their “shit week,” we take a moment to reflect with them. Instead of immediately jumping to “Let’s start again on Monday!” We like to encourage a deeper dive into their experiences and it becomes a reflection on:
By asking these questions, we shift the narrative from a negative self-talk spiral—where you feel like a failure—to one of reflection and learning. This shift is crucial because negative self-talk can lead to shame, anxiety, and self-doubt, ultimately creating a cycle that prevents us from moving forward.
Challenges/Fails = Lessons Learnt
Every challenge, every failure, and every small success contributes to the path toward the person you aspire to be. It’s essential to recognise that these moments are building blocks in your journey. THIS is why “quick fixes” rarely work: they ignore the reality that lasting change comes from navigating the ups and downs of life, not avoiding them. To put it simply, there is no such thing as a ‘quick fix’ so you may as well focus on the long haul. It might not always be pretty but what fun would that be?
So, the next time you sit down to check in with your coach or reflect on your week, ask yourself: Was it really that shit? When you compare this week to what a “bad week” looked like two, four, or even twelve months ago, you might find that you’ve grown more than you realise.
“Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.”