August 16, 2020
The Goal which Precedes the Goal
Before working as a trainer, I knew mindset was an important aspect of physical fitness. It wasn’t until I began my career that I learned that most people pretty much know generally what would benefit their bodies and their goals. What they had trouble with was taking action and implementing their plans. You see, what my clients taught me was that mindset isn’t just a thing you needed to master; it is THE thing. When you have the mindset to emotionally and psychologically handle your goal, there is no longer the excuse of “I don’t know” even if you are lacking a piece of knowledge. The person who is going to do the thing, will find the information to do the thing. There is no longer the excuse that “I am busy.” When you are set on achieving your goal, free time manifests itself. There is no longer the excuse “I failed.” When clear on the goal, what everyone else sees as failure, the disciplined mind will see as an opportunity for growth and ultimate success. So, one begins to realize, every goal in the physical world must be preceded by its counterpart within the individual who holds the intent.
All of this sounds beautiful and poetic, but I bet you don’t care if you are unsure how to begin. Take these as ways to get you headed in the right direction:
- Always begin with the bare minimum. You think it’s a good idea to go all in? How has that been working for you? Have you stuck to your plan? In most cases, my clients have not been successful with trying to do a complete overhaul. Why? Because they already have habits that counter their ideal and some of them are attached to a lot of emotions. Maybe going all in made them feel good for a couple of days or even a couple of weeks. Then, something undesirable would happen in their lives. Things would get stressful. Resistance would set in. The brain and body would then do what it’s supposed to do, minimize stress and resistance to get you back to homeostasis.
- Always master the foundations. Don’t make things harder for yourself by rushing for the sake of progression. Making your body do things that it just isn’t prepared to do will only cause frustration at the very least, and with unnecessary frustration you are more likely to quit.
- Make the next step the tiniest step that will still yield a result. See the explanation of point 2.
- Replace useless phrases, like “I don’t know.” They do not help you move forward. In fact, they keep you stagnant. In the age of Google, there is no excuse to not know something. Ask questions, get answers, or explore on your own. Instead of saying “I don’t know,” try saying, “I will have to figure it out.”
- Raise your discomfort tolerance. Actively practice doing things that are uncomfortable. Just the way you would do reps under the bar, do reps out in life. Challenge your mind and your body will have more capacity for growth.
- Incorporate rituals. When things become automatic, there is very little resistance to work through. Actions become automatic when they are habitual. Habits are programmed through repetition. Create a clear routine for yourself before you hit the gym or before your meal prep. Make it something that makes you feel good. Do it every time. The more those neuropathways get engraved, the less you will struggle to complete the task.
- Rest. If you aren’t resting, then your central nervous system will become eggs over hard. Don’t give your brain any more reason to be a grumpy teenager than it has to. Let it recover and let it have calm. Your future bad ass goal crushing self will thank you.
Ready to start reaching your own goals?! Contact Andrea today!
