How do we use it to unlock untapped potential?
Whether we like to admit it or not, we all have our fair share of fears. Fear of change, fear of failure, even fearfulness of success can alter situations in our every day life, not to mention throughout our fitness journey.
So how do we get over this problem? Better yet, how do we use it as fuel to catapult us forward rather than getting stuck in the quicksand of doubt?
Before we search for a solution, first we have to understand FEAR.
Fear isn't necessarily a bad thing. It's our brains awareness letting us know we're facing something unfamiliar. It's perfectly normal to experience the fear of failure, fear of the unknown, and evenfear of success. Our mind is jumping ahead trying to predict outcomes that haven't happened.
I'm not one for acronyms, but a friend of mine explained FEAR as simply being:
False
Events
Appearing
Real
After hearing that I have approached the topic with a completely different mindset.
So how do we combat these false events?
Mindfullness
Being aware of your fears and mindful of your thought process makes a big difference. Recognizing negative self talk and remembering to both inject gratitude and positive dialogue works wonders for me.
I know the positive dialogue might seem a little weird to some, but growing up, I had very few positive influences or idols. There weren't people that guided me as much in times of need. As an adult, I'm finding it useful to sometimes recite some positive thoughts to myself as oppose to beating myself up for shortcommings. By doing so, you create the inner dialogue that has a more positive outlook and build the habit of remolding your negative self talk into something more uplifting.
I must say, this isn't easy and it takes PLENTY of practice. It took me a long time just to get my awareness to the point where I recognized my negative self talk.
As always, I recommend therapy for everyone, I feel like the unbiased input and guidance can also be beneficial. I've experienced if myself and will 100% vouche for mental health advocacy. We all struggle with things we don't speak about, some that we don't know we struggle with because it just seems like a thing we have to deal with.
GO OUTSIDE!
Getting outside and breathing in fresh air is a natural mood booster. What I like to do is load my dumbbells or weight plates, and resistance bands (depending on my workout plan for the day), into my trunk and head to the park closest to me. I'm fortunate that the parking lot is close to open grass and a bench where I can store my equipment.
We get bored working out in the same setting at times. For me, it's a break from a closed in garage gym and the breeze is like a reward when you're working hard!
Podcast or music changes?
Not every workout session is the same. Sometimes I like a change of pace and vibe. Listening to the same old playlists can become too repetitive and you may actually get to the point where you can't stand music.
I like to find inspirational podcasts and speeches from people I look up to. My favorite ones consist of work by Eric Thomas (Aka ET The Hiphop Preacher), Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Arnold Shwarzaneggar, Kobe Bryant, Jay Glazier, and more, just to name a handfull of people.
BE Kind to yourself
This is the most impactful piece of information I can share with you throughout your fitness journey, or just everyday life.
We become to critical of ourselves and expectations can drive us into a dark corner. Give yourself credit for the effort you put forth and don't hyperfocus on things that can reroute your mood.
Most importantly, don't let comparison be the theif of your joy.
With social media on demand 24/7, it's easy to scroll and see the life, the finances, or even the body you'd love to have. All great things take time, and you're doing the things you need to do to achieve your goals.
So keep up the hard work, stay focused, and don't forget to HAVE FUN!
Fitness isn't a chore! You're doing great!
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