Working Out Loss Aversion

Loss aversion is our tendency to prefer avoiding losses more than acquiring equivalent gains. It hurts more to lose $10 than it feels good to find $10.

Last week I wrote about paying attention to what you’re really doing if you try to make up for a missed session, or part of a session, by adding on to a future workout.

In coaching I find that athletes feel much worse over missing a workout than they feel good over completing a workout.

Stop it. Just stop it. You missed a workout or a part of a workout. It’s okay.

If you find yourself valuing the loss of a workout more than you value completing one, sit with that for a moment. Recalibrate. Revalue what you missed in equal proportion to something similar you completed recently.

The key to long term development is the accumulation of many small steps. One step means almost nothing by itself. You missed one or shortened it a bit. It’s okay. Just don’t make a habit of it and you’ll be fine.