TLDR
Most of your energy goes into controlling the world around you. Working in means training your thoughts and emotions with the same discipline you bring to the gym.
You already train
You lift. You run. You stretch. You track your reps, your miles, your weight. You show up when you don’t feel like it, because you know consistency is what changes your body.
It’s fun. It’s healthy. Nobody questions it.
Now imagine giving your mind and emotions the same treatment. A regular session. A plan. Progress you can feel.
That’s real fitness. Not just a strong body, but a strong inner world to go with it. The whole person, trained.
Working out
Look at where your energy actually goes.
Managing your team. Reading the room. Keeping your partner happy. Planning for every outcome. Rehearsing the conversation before it happens. Replaying it after.
People, events, circumstances. You work hard to control all of it.
It’s a full-time job. And the return is poor. People still do what they do. Plans still change. The outcome is never fully yours.
That’s working out: pouring effort into a world you can’t control.
Working in
Now flip it.
How much effort have you put into learning about your own thoughts and emotions? Not managing them. Not pushing them down. Actually understanding them.
Most smart, driven people have never studied the one system running every decision they make.
Working in means getting curious about what happens inside you. Where a reaction comes from. What thought came right before the feeling. Why the same moment hits you differently on different days.
What you’re aware of, you can change. What you’re not aware of runs you.
For your consideration
Where do your thoughts and emotions come from?
How are they created?
Can you control them?
Can you create them?
Are you thinking and feeling intentionally, or compulsively?
Start learning these things. See what it’s like to start working in.
Emotional Agency™ is the framework I built for exactly this work. Learn more about Emotional Agency™ →
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only. It is not therapy, mental health advice, or a substitute for professional care, and reading it does not create a therapist-client relationship. Jesse King is licensed in Texas. For guidance on your situation, please speak with a licensed professional.