What If It Does Works Out? Living Your Best in the Uncertainty of It All

By Julie Isphording

Life is filled with uncertainty. We rarely get guarantees, clear paths, or perfect timing. Most of the time, we stand at the starting line of something new without knowing how it will end. And yet, we still have to decide how we’re going to show up.

When I stood on the starting line of the first women’s Olympic Trials in 1984, I was seeded 42nd in a race that only celebrated the top three finishers—the athletes who would earn a place on the Olympic team.

On paper, the odds were never in my favor, even after two years of focused training leading up to that day. Statistics suggested it wouldn’t work out. But numbers never account for belief, courage, resilience, prayer, or the quiet choices you make every day when no one is watching. They don’t measure heart. They don’t capture hope.

I knew I couldn’t control the outcome, but I could control my effort, my mindset, my passion, my purpose—and ultimately, the person I was becoming along the way. That realization changed everything. It shifted my focus from fear to hope, from pressure to possibility, from work to gratitude.

Uncertainty can either paralyze us or refine us. It can push us into hesitation, or it can teach us to live with intention. Living your best life in uncertainty doesn’t mean pretending everything will be easy. It means choosing hope over doubt. It means preparing fully, loving the process, and trusting that your effort matters—even when the ending is unknown.

“What if it works out?” is not naïve optimism. It is a disciplined way to live. It reminds us that our work has value, our dreams are worth chasing, and our presence matters. It allows us to move forward with courage and faith instead of waiting for perfect conditions that never come.

Most meaningful things in life come with uncertainty—careers, relationships, growth, even joy. But when we live as if things can work out, we grow in extraordinary ways. We learn. We stretch. And regardless of the outcome, we discover who we are.

Sometimes, that discovery is the real win.

Why is exercise so—SO—hard?

If exercise feels hard, there’s a reason — actually, there are many. Exercise rarely challenges just the body; it asks something of our sleep, our stress levels, our mindset, and our lives. Before we judge ourselves for struggling, it helps to name what might really be going on.

Physical / Body

1. Out of shape—just starting out.
2. Poor sleep = extra fatigue.
3. Not enough fuel—skipping meals, eating poorly.
4. Dehydration.
5. Muscles/lungs/heart not adapted yet.
6. Soreness from earlier workouts.
7. Illness or underlying health condition—asthma anemia, thyroid, etc.
8. Hormonal fluctuations.
9. Aging — slower recovery, stiffer joints.
10. Carrying extra body weight—more stress on joints and heart.
11. Poor posture or mobility restrictions.
12. Bad form/technique = wasted energy.
13. Overtraining / not enough rest days.
14. Injuries—old and new.
15. Working out in extreme heat, humidity, or cold.
16. Wearing the wrong shoes or gear.
17. Starting too fast or going too hard too soon.
18. Altitude or air quality—pollution, allergies.
19. Not warming up properly.
20. Low iron or vitamin deficiencies.

Mental / Emotional

• Low motivation.
• Negative self-talk.
• Comparing yourself to others.
• Perfectionism.
• Fear of injury or failure.
• Lack of confidence in how to do the exercises.
• Boredom — workouts feel repetitive.
• Overthinking— “this is going to hurt; I’ll never make it.”
• Mental fatigue from work/life.
• Stress or anxiety bleeding into workouts.
• Depression.
• No clear goal or purpose for working out.
• All-or-nothing mindset.
• Impatience with progress.
• Guilt or shame about body/fitness level.

Lifestyle / Environment

• Busy schedule — hard to carve out time.
• Rushing into a workout mentally unprepared.
• Crowded or intimidating gym environment.
• Unsafe or unappealing outdoor space (bad sidewalks, traffic).
• Lack of routine or consistency — every session feels like starting over.

Maybe exercise isn’t hard because we’re lazy or broken or “bad at it.”
Maybe it’s hard because we’re human — tired, stressed, under-fueled, and carrying more than we realize.

So, let’s offer ourselves some grace. Grace to start slower. Grace to do less. Grace to choose movement that feels good instead of punishing.

And at the same time, let’s stay curious. What if exercise didn’t have to hurt to count? What if the goal wasn’t proving something — but feeling something?

When we meet our bodies with kindness instead of criticism, movement stops being a chore and starts becoming a gift. Not something we have to do… but something that helps us live better, longer, and more fully.

And that kind of exercise? That’s the kind people actually come back to.