A metaphor from Tony Robbins

While I was working out at the gym today, I was listening to Tony Robbins' audiobook and he talked about a metaphor that pretty much applies to every form of conditioning: mental conditioning, physical conditioning, emotional... etc.

He talked about how he has an old grand piano that had been out of tune for years. One day he decided to have it tuned by a professional because his kids wanted to learn to play. So the piano tuner came by and adjusted the tensions of the strings. Surprisingly, the tuner said he had to come back the next week. When asked why, he answered that it had been out of tune so long that he would have to repeatedly tune it, more-so in the near future. So he would have to retune it a week from now, then 2 weeks from now, then a month from now, then 2 months from now... until it comes to a point where you only have to tune it twice a year.

The same kind of principle can be applied to working out. If you haven't worked out in a long time, it can take a great deal of effort in the beginning to get back into shape. Once you're in shape, all it takes is a little fine tuning here and there to stay fit.

It also applies to panic disorder. In the beginning, it's REALLY tough to get yourself back out there. There's a great deal of fine-tuning to be done in the beginning. Alot of meditation, alot of exercise, alot of relaxation, alot of exposure. After awhile it gets easier, but it still requires hard work.