The Test-Retest Model: Why Your Life Requires Systems
At Refuge Physiotherapy, we adhere to what is called the “Test-Retest Model”. It is a simple concept. We perform an intervention, then we immediately re-test to see if it worked and helped with symptoms. If the movement (or whatever we are measuring) improved, we continue. If it didn’t, we pivot. We don’t guess. We measure.
Lately, I’ve noticed a pattern in my conversations with patients. People aren't just struggling with physical pain. They are struggling with consistency in their exercises and their other self-improvement habits. They begin to feel resistance, they get discouraged, and they quit.
The truth is, they don't have a motivation problem. They have a systems problem.
The Hard Truth: Chaos is a Choice
Whether it’s with your rehab and exercise consistency or in your personal life, a lack of structure is an invitation for chaos. When you claim you "don't have time" or "feel overwhelmed," you are usually admitting that you lack a system to manage your priorities.
Systems create discipline. Discipline decreases chaos. If you are stuck in a cycle of frustration (starting a routine only to plateau and slide backward), it’s because you are relying on how you feel instead of how you operate.
The Life Audit
Every decision you make is a test.
* If you don’t prioritize sleep, your recovery tests poorly.
* If you don’t audit your time, your productivity tests poorly.
* If you don't do your prescribed exercises, your mobility and strength test poorly.
The Myth of "No Time"
As previously stated, we often hear, "I just don't have the time." This is a lie we tell ourselves to avoid admitting that something isn't a priority.
Time is the ultimate equalizer. Whether you are a CEO, a retiree, or a new parent navigating a six-month-old’s schedule, you have 24 hours in a day. Yes, they look different, but the difference between those who see results and those who stay stuck is a time audit.
When you actually audit your time and track your output, you realize the time isn't "missing". It’s being spent on low-value activities, watching tv, being on social media, or simple procrastination. You can either choose to prioritize your health now, or you can wait until an injury or illness forces you to stop everything else to deal with it. Either way, the time will be spent.
The Comfort Trap
We live in a society designed for softness. Think about it: cushioned shoes, plush mattresses, and instant gratification. But if you aren't growing, you are dying.
In my opinion, this obsession with comfort has made our nervous systems hypersensitive. We see this often in the clinic with something as simple as being barefoot. We were designed to move and support ourselves without artificial help, yet most people have spent so many years in “supportive”, cushioned shoes that the second they go barefoot, it feels wrong or even painful. Their feet haven’t changed’, but their threshold has. They’ve become so reliant on the cushion that they’ve lost the natural strength and resilience they were born with.
People experience a small amount of discomfort and immediately stop, assuming something is "wrong." In reality, you’ve simply reached a threshold you haven't challenged in years. You have to desensitize your nervous system and start pushing back against that “comfort” to regain what you’ve lost.
To get results (yes physically, but even in other areas of life) you must be willing to be uncomfortable. Progress requires a level of work that isn’t always going to feel easy. Start viewing hard work as the requirement for getting the results you want.
The Challenge
At Refuge, we are your partners in this journey, but we cannot want your recovery more than you do. We provide the expertise, and you provide the effort.
My challenge to you is this: Audit your systems.
1. Identify where you are making excuses.
2. Stop negotiating with your goals.
3. Implement a structure that makes success inevitable rather than optional.
*Consistency is the only bridge between the life you have and the goals you claim to want. Stop testing the waters and start testing your limits.*
