Learnt This the Hard Way Recently

Hey,

Sharing a few things that sat heavy with me this week.

some clarity. some friction. some growth.

Let’s talk about pressure.

The pressure to always outperform myself

I’ve been lifting for over 2 years now.

And I’ve had those golden streaks — PRs day after day, every lift getting stronger, every run feeling lighter.

But right now?

I’m stuck at a 198 lbs deadlift.

I hit 44 lbs dumbbell shoulder press for 6 reps — and haven’t pushed past that since.

And I haven’t done a long-distance run in a while.

I still train daily.

But the pressure’s changed.

It’s no longer about just showing up. It’s about fighting the quiet voice that says:

“Why aren’t you improving?”

And the truth is, I’ve hit a point where intensity isn’t the answer always.

consistency is.

That’s hard, because intensity feels impressive.

Consistency just… feels quiet.

But I’ve realized —

Showing up without visible progress is a form of progress. That is how it starts on day one of joining the gym.

Intensity is when you’re on fire—driven by excitement, unstoppable in your belief. Consistency is showing up when the fire’s out, and doing it anyway. Together, they’re magic. But even on their own, either one can take you far.

pressure = signal

We often treat pressure like it’s something to escape.

But this week reminded me:

Pressure is information.

It tells you:

Pressure only finds those who aim high, those with expectations on their shoulders and standards they refuse to lower.

You don’t get used to it. You grow into it. You learn to carry it with pride

Pressure doesn’t mean you’re doing something wrong.

It usually means you’re doing something that matters.

I used to think feeling pressure meant I wasn’t ready.

Now I think it means I’m being stretched.

The best stuff I’ve done has come when I felt slightly in over my head —

and kept going anyway.

-Kanishka