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7 Lessons from My Own Fitness Journey: Progress, Not Perfection.

Nicolette Leigh
Aug 11
5 min read

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Gym Newbie to Gym Natural in 6 Weeks Fitness program — *Gym Newbie to Gym Natural in 6 Weeks - An Easy to Follow Fitness Program for Beginners*

Hey there, strong friend 👋

If you've ever felt stuck, lost, or just completely overwhelmed by where to even begin on your fitness journey—welcome. You’re not alone here, and you’re exactly where you need to be.

I’m Nicolette—a weightlifting coach, small business owner, dog mom, and coffee enthusiast who has been exactly where you are right now. I understand what it’s like to walk into a gym feeling out of place, unsure of what to do, and questioning if you even belong there. The truth is, you do belong, and finding your strength starts with simply showing up.

When I started taking my own fitness journey seriously, I wasn’t chasing a six-pack. I was navigating one of the hardest seasons of my life. I felt like the world was crumbling around me, and the only thing I could control? How I showed up for myself. So I turned to fitness—not to look better (though that came later), but to heal.

Now I coach women who are in that same place. We’re not chasing perfection—we’re chasing strength, sanity, and the confidence to own our lives again.

Here are 7 lessons I learned from my own fitness journey that I hope will help guide yours.

1. You Don’t Need to Be Ready. You Just Need to Start.

I didn’t have fancy gym gear, a workout plan, or even a clear goal at first. I just had pain—and a gut feeling that movement could be part of my healing.

I started small. Just showing up. Even when I didn’t feel like it. And over time? That discipline started to grow roots. From there, my confidence started to build slightly and gave me the motivation to create a plan to keep that amazing vibe going!

My favorite beginner tools:

🧘‍♀️ Resistance Bands Set – portable and perfect for strength training anywhere
💧 Motivational Water Bottle – because hydration should hype you up
📅 Fitness Planner & Tracker – keep yourself accountable in style

2. Progress Isn’t Linear—And That’s Okay

Some weeks I crush my four-day workout split. Other weeks? Life gets chaotic, and I get three in. But I’ve learned to pivot, not quit.

Progress is messy. Healing is nonlinear. And missing a workout doesn’t undo the work you’ve already done. It just gives you the opportunity to recommit.

By showing up week after week, regardless of missed workout, it wasn’t perfect but it was still progress.

👉 My split usually looks like:

2 days Upper Body (Chest/Tris, Back/Bis)
2 days Lower Body (Glutes/Quads, Hamstrings/Calves)
Adjusted when life gets busy—but always hitting the major muscle groups.

Need help creating a workout split that fits in your schedule???

Check out my blog post below:

How to Create a 3-Day Strength Split That Fits Your Life You don’t need more hours in the day—you just need a smart plan.

Free 3-4 Day Training Split for Beginners

3. Mood Follows Movement

At my lowest, I was battling depression and rage I didn’t know what to do with. Lifting became my therapy. Sweat became my release.

Over time, I noticed something amazing: I wasn’t just getting stronger physically—I was stabilizing emotionally. My mood went from defeated and low to centered and confident. And that internal shift is what lit the fire in me to keep going.

Working out gave me my power back.

4. You Can’t Hate Yourself into Change

I used to believe that if I just pushed hard enough, if I did everything that wasn’t right for me but right for everyone else, I’d finally be “good enough.” Spoiler alert: that mindset doesn’t work.

What does? Grace. Structure. And showing up from a place of self-respect—not self-loathing if I didn’t workout one of the days that week.

My turning point? Seeing that I looked good on the outside gave me the confidence to feel good on the inside. That shift was everything.

5. Fueling Your Body Is Part of the Healing

Pairing workouts with solid nutrition changed the game. I started meal planning.

Prepping in advance. Fueling myself with what my body needed instead of what was quick or emotionally satisfying.

And let me tell you—energy levels, mood, and motivation all followed suit.

💪 Grab my free Daily Meal Checklist here.

An easy follow along list to make sure your body is getting what it needs to fuel up/

You don’t have to overthink it. You just have to start.

6. You’ll Feel It in 4 Weeks, See It in 6, Hear It in 8

This quote kept me going:

“In 4 weeks you’ll feel it. In 6 weeks you’ll see it. In 8 weeks you’ll hear it.”

I clung to that. Because when you're in the thick of change, it's hard to see your progress. But when you trust the process and commit, the results come—and people notice.

And you won’t just hear it from others. You’ll hear it in your own voice, your own headspace. You'll start believing again. And that's the real win.

7. You Deserve to Be Proud of Yourself

Let me leave you with this: you don’t need to earn rest. You don’t need to be perfect.

You just need to keep showing up.

Strength isn’t just what you see in the mirror. It’s what you feel in your heart when you realize: I didn’t quit on myself.

Those are the 7 lessons I learned from my own fitness journey that I hope will help guide yours.

Ready to Start? I Got You 👇

🎁 FREE Tools to Help You Start Strong 📥 4-Week Split Planner 📥 Fitness Tracker & Journal Pack 📥 Meal Plan Guide + Macro Cheat Sheet 📥 Daily Meal Checklist

🛒 My Favorite Amazon Finds for Fitness Beginners

💥 Want More Support on Your Fitness Journey?

Whether you're just getting started or ready to level up, I've got the perfect program for you: Learn more about my 3 key programs by clicking the link(s) below!