It starts out with the desire to change something. For a while the change is difficult, it takes work, it makes me uncomfortable.
As I go about doing the work, I notice the results, I feel good about the work. There is a payoff.
Then something happens: the change becomes the new normal, the baseline has shifted.
All of a sudden the work is not so hard, but consequently, the results are less noticeable. The comparison shifts from what was, to what is.
This is the plateau, and I’m no longer satisfied.
I first noticed this when I started losing weight. When I went from 180 to 150, I noticed almost every pound coming off of my body. I noticed the shifts in my body composition. The results were dramatic, it made me feel good.
Then the plateau, and I’m no longer satisfied.
Though I’m working out more now than ever, I see less results. Though I’m still eating the way I was, I don’t noticed my body changing anymore.
Is it good or bad to compare ourselves to the new normal, rather than how far we’ve travelled since the start of the journey? I don’t think it’s good or bad, but I will say this: I think the new normal is what motivates us to go further, to work harder. Because if I were to constantly compare myself against the start, I’d always be thrilled and I might get complacent. The new normal keeps me from getting comfortable.
The new normal is the basis of growth. Find your plateau, then find your next mountain to climb.