Why “No Pain, No Gain” Is More Powerful Than You Realize

Chances are you’ve heard the quote “No pain, no gain” before. Especially if you enjoy hitting the gym and getting a nice pump going on. What this means is that in order to make your muscles grow, you’ll have to shred the fibers so they can grow back bigger and stronger. This progress causes physical pain because you’re tearing apart your muscles, but the reward for the pain is always worth it.

Many people don’t realize that this golden quote applies everywhere. Even outside your local gym. In all the different areas of your life. Fitness, dating, finances, mental health. You’ve probably faced different challenges and setbacks in these areas, but have you ever wondered what kind of lesson you’ve gained? Have you ever thought about your progress and the impact that your failures have had on it?

Pain and gain in your everyday life

You probably know that if you want to achieve something, you’ll have to put in the effort. Nothing good in life comes without it. Just like you have to put the effort into your training to become fitter, you have to put effort into learning new skills when building a business. 

You’ll probably encounter pain when losing money, but those mistakes will teach you important lessons. When you’re looking for love, you’ll have to face rejection when approaching people. The list goes on. When you pursue your goals, there’s some pain you’ll have to go through to reach them. It may be physical pain at the gym or mental pain and stress in business.

So, whatever your dreams are, start seeing them from this perspective. Just like at the gym, every moment of pain and discomfort will be rewarded later. Don’t be afraid to encounter pain because it’s a sign that you’re making progress. The burn in your muscles will make them stronger, the pain of getting rejected will teach you how to approach better, and the pain of losing $1000 will teach you many valuable lessons in business. 

All this is something that will help you to succeed later. Mastering any area of life will require those painful repetitions and effort. No book or any information can replace the skill you gain from your own experience. So remember, it’s OK to fail, it’s OK to be stressed, and it’s OK to feel confused. It means you’re improving!

Using pain to your advantage

“What do you mean use pain to your advantage, are you insane?” No, I’m not. What I mean by this is that you should start seeing failure, rejection, and pain from a new perspective. One of the greatest differences between the top 1% of successful people and mediocrity is the way they treat failure.

Rather than seeing a painful failure as a sign of lower worth, consider it a great lesson. Just like a rep in the gym. The more it hurts, the more it will reward you later.

A rep in business could be investing in training that doesn’t work but will teach you how to find one that works. A rep in dating could be a brutal heartbreak that teaches you to not put another person on a pedestal. A rep with your mental health could be a negative experience that forces you to learn to control anxiety.

Do you see the point here? One of the fundamental, unwritten laws in this world is that if you want to achieve something great, you’ll have to put in the effort and exit your comfort zone.

Many people don’t do this because they aren’t patient enough to be consistent, or their ego and fear of failure are stopping them. Don’t let that toxic mentality hold you back. Rather than shrinking away and avoiding the risk of pain, put yourself out there and do that rep! And when you do those reps over and over again, you’ll reach success. Rather than seeing failures as heavy bricks in your mental backpack, you’re using them to build stairs that will reach the clouds one day.

Pain, the greatest motivator

Have you ever seen the following phenomenon in your life? Someone faces a horrible setback in their life such as failing in business or a brutal heartbreak. For a while, they’re feeling terrible but along with time, they change and end up becoming a new, better version of themselves. They may even claim that the setback was the best thing that ever happened for them.

I certainly have seen this and experienced it myself. The reason why this happens is very simple. When life hits you hard, you end up in a situation so painful, that it nearly forces you to take action and improve your life. Once you take that action, you become a better version of yourself.

There are two types of motivation. The first is a desire to move towards pleasure. This is the most common one. People see something they want and they go for it. Then there is the more powerful one, an urge to move away from pain. Obviously, the second one gives you better results because you start from a situation that’s painful and something you want to get rid of. Yes, it’s uncomfortable but extremely effective. This is how you can turn a major setback into your greatest advantage.

Start seeing different forms of pain and discomfort as reps that will reward you later. Just like at the gym. No pain, no gain. Once you apply this principle properly, you can achieve pretty much anything you want!