ERIC KIM

How to Overcome Resistance

Learn to love the resistance. To seek a fun challenge for yourself.

Resistance training

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To get stronger, you need more resistance.

For example, weight lifting is all about overcoming the resistance of the weights and gravity. As a weight lifter, you’re seeking to overcome the tyranny of gravity, with your mind, muscles, and strength.

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In fact, weightlifting is only enjoyable because it is so difficult! I know for myself as a weight lifter, I seek resistance — lifting weights is only fun when there is a challenging weight which I need to overcome.

“I want someone to fight!”

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I think the reason why we love to play sports and games is this:

We gain great delight from beating and overcoming our opponents.

This is the root of competition: we desire a challenge, and we desire resistance!

Perhaps this is where true joy comes from — the feeling that we have overcome a difficult challenge; the feeling of resistance overcome.

Don’t shy away from challenge

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Rather, love challenge! Challenge and resistance makes life more fun and interesting.

Seek greater challenges, greater resistance, to become more powerful, and to have more fun in life!

How to overcome resistance

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Practical ideas:

  1. Don’t be afraid. For example a lot of weight lifters are afraid when they’re lifting heavier weights, even though their muscles, bones, and sinews may be strong enough. Thus don’t be afraid of the danger, by pushing yourself to the limit, and letting yourself fail a few times! Once you’ve failed, you realize, “That wasn’t so bad or scary!”
  2. When you start failing, this is a good sign. It means you’re pushing yourself to the limits.
  3. Learn to see the resistance as a fun trainer. Think to yourself: “Resistance is good!”
  4. Keep training and practicing: Keep attempting to overcome the resistance, and remember — the only way to improve and become stronger is through practice. Focus on the practice.
  5. Keep setting higher challenges: I actually find my deadlifts to get stronger when I set absurdly high challenges for myself. For example, my goal is a 500 pound deadlift, which makes me hustle harder. Better to have a massive and great goal and fail, than to succeed at a mediocre goal.

HUSTLE HARD!
ERIC