Do you know the PB bell hanging in the gym?
Most of us probably know what it means. You hit a new personal best, you ring the bell and everyone gets to celebrate with you.
And a weeks ago, on a strength day, I had the chance to ring it. I hit a PB.
But I hesitated. I looked at the bell and immediately felt a bit embarrassed.
I wondered whether it was worth ringing. Whether my lift was big enough. Whether I was making a big deal out of something that didn’t really matter.
Then I caught myself. I’d worked hard for that lift.
There had been plenty of sessions where I had practised, missed lifts, adjusted things and kept showing up. That PB didn’t just happen because I walked into the gym that night.
So I rang the bell. And I’m glad I did.
Because celebrating your wins matters.
And those wins don’t always have to be a physical accomplishment.
Sometimes the win is adding a few kilos to your lift.
Sometimes its the first time you run 400m without stopping.
Sometimes it’s your first pull up.
Sometimes it’s doing something you couldn’t do a few months ago.
But sometimes the win is simply walking through the door after a shitty day when staying home would have been much easier.
It might be coming back after time away.
It might be finishing a workout you were nervous about.
It might be doing one more class than you did last week.
Your win doesn’t have to look impressive to anyone else.
It just has to mean something to you.
I think we can be very good at moving straight past our progress.
You hit the lift, finish the workout or make it through a tough day, and your brain immediately starts thinking about what you need to improve next.
But sometimes it’s worth stopping for a second.
Look at how far you’ve come.
Recognise the work that got you there.
And celebrate it.
So the next time you have a win, don’t be embarrassed to acknowledge it.
Maybe it is worth ringing the PB bell.
Or maybe your win is quieter than that.
Either way, celebrate it.
Because every time you do, you remind yourself that the hard work, the consistency and the effort are actually adding up.
Coach Al.
