How Do We Reach — And Then Leave — A Plateau in the Things We Do?

Plateaus are an unfortunate reality of everyone’s health, wellness, and wellbeing journeys.

Photo by Chris Curry on Unsplash

Have you ever tried to lose weight, get into better shape, and reached a point where you seemed unable to advance?

Did you ever try to build a new habit, and in the process reached a point where you got stalled, and couldn’t seem to progress?

Have you ever tried to learn a sport where drills to build better muscle memory help you improve — but you reached a point where you seemed stuck?

These are all examples of a plateau.

Whatever it is you might be attempting to work on or do, odds are that along the way you’ll reach a plateau. There comes a point where you just get stuck and can’t seem to advance.

For example — I have been actively working to get in better shape and lose weight. For several months now, the same number shows when I (intentionally infrequently) step on the scale. That’s a plateau.

Another example — I have a friend who has been doing the same medieval fencing game as me for 20 years plus. They reached a point where their overall inherent and learned skills seem to have been placed on hold. They get no worse — but…