How great it is when you go out for a 5km run and through you end up doing 10km, feeling so motivated and driven whilst doing it!
This was me a few weeks ago, I hadn't run10km (6 miles) for over 8 months and yet when I started out running that day there was something that just clicked and not long into the run I was driven mentally to push on and set the bar higher. Now, I am not suggesting you all go out this weekend and do the same and just to be clear I run, swim and weight train regularly and am fairly conditioned but to double my run distance was purely mental that day and it was what pushed my body to do twice the distance!
It made me recall all those times I have watched TV interviews of athletes who'd just won a World title breaking the World record at the same time. In the interview they said how relaxed they felt, as soon as the gun went off it was almost like they had an out of body experience, destined to perform to their best and no one was going to get in their way. Of course they have had weeks, months, years and many hours of training leading up to this competition and have fully prepared for this event but when it all clicks together, the feeling is magical. I may not have won a World gold or broken any records during this10km run but the sense of achievement and the realisation that it was my mental ability that pushed me to achieve what the body didn't set out to do is really important when it comes to performing to your best; the euphoria and complete elation afterwards felt almost like I had experienced that same out of body experience.
We speak about this with clients on a regular basis - breaking through your own barriers to success!
Knowing it’s your mind that gives up way before your body, it’s amazing how much your thoughts dictate what and how you do things on a daily basis. I’m not just talking about sport, how many times have you just not tried, given up way before anyone else, or chosen the easy route out instead of pushing yourself to go ahead with something?
We are all guilty, but why? Because it’s easier (i.e lazy), because you have no time (i.e excuse), because you think you are just not good enough (i. e fear of failure), or because you just don’t know how to change (well you’ve come to the right place!)
How great would it be to push through those barriers of limiting self-belief, to find out that:
- you can actually walk an extra mile
- you don’t have to be last in everything
- you can stop yourself eating those highly processed high sugar foods
- you don’t need Coca Cola in your life
- you can apply for that job you've always wanted
- you don't need to carry so much stress
- you can feel more positive than negative,
& that you can perform better than you EVER have before in your LIFE!!!!
Wow…if you had the magic wand eh?
Well let me tell you something, there is no magic wand, there doesn’t need to be. It is all about training your mindset and believing in yourself no matter what the barriers may be. Life happens because of the choices you make, & ensuring your mind is strong as well as your body makes you a very powerful machine; the two working together gives you the tools to achieve anything you want.
"You can achieve anything if you put your mind to it”
Belief, focus, drive, commitment, continually challenging yourself, and setting goals, are all qualities that mindset training can give you and yet not a lot of us of do this type of training or indeed know where to begin.
What makes us different to those who succeed? Whether its losing weight, starting to exercise after a long break, continually eating processed high sugar foods, trying to meet work deadlines, dealing with tricky relationship or family issues, or trying to become the best you can possibly be at sport YOU HAVE TO TRAIN THE MIND and find the WILLPOWER TO SUCCEED.
Here are 6 steps to get you on the right track:
1. Put pen to paper…. Writing to yourself is very powerful and revealing. Write down how would you like to look, how would you like to live your life, what aspects of your life need addressing, what are your goals & expectations, what’s holding you back, what are the excuses etc. Think about every aspect of your life: family, your health & wellbeing, your sport, work & career, love and relationships, money & finances.
2. Recognise your feelings... Now write down how you would feel if you dealt with all the things you have listed. Imagine that feeling, close your eyes and really imagine it. Visualisation is extremely powerful and rewarding.
3. Be kind to yourself...Write down all the good things about you: what you like about yourself, what others tell you that make you feel good, who in your life is important and why, what good things are happening, how you felt when you did that last PB. Not only do you become a more positive person but also a grateful person.
4. Execute that plan to change...You can write plans your whole life but not know how to execute them - this is the real test! You have to really WANT to change and WANT that success. This is not an overnight thing or a quick fix (and yes I am slamming those fad diets). This is about a renewed you, a more powerful successful you. There may be a multitude of reasons for this fear/excuse/laziness/lack of knowledge and it may go right back to experiences you've had as a child and subsequently through the years but try and dig deep, forgive yourself, recognise whatever is holding you back and press delete. Wipe the slate clean, start fresh and stop holding yourself back or using excuses that are preventing you from achieving change or success.
Start to plan what steps you need to take to reach the goal you want to start with (start small and have only 3 to 4 steps). Record daily what you are doing towards reaching that step and once achieved move to the next step and so on (there is more on goal setting in our next Blog)
5. Get Support... Once you have decided what you want to do, get support (you can of course get support to help you decide what you want to do but you MUST completely own the goal and truly believe in your ability for it to work). Support is critical to success, be it a coach, partner, family, work colleagues, or friends etc. They are there to help and advise, they may even want to achieve the same goal as you and can work alongside you. Your support team are there to help you every step of the way (through good and bad) so don't be afraid to ask for help and get them involved and become part of your journey - not only does this help motivate and spur you on it makes you accountable and more likely to achieve your goals. Remember though it's still your challenge so don't let anyone take over!
6. Overcome obstacles...We all have bad days – it doesn’t mean you should give up. Get over it, accept it happens, and get back on track. I’m not saying the journey is going to be easy but I AM saying it’s going to be worth it! Keep on track and keep believing, see and record the progress you are making each week, and see tough times as bumps in the road that are there on purpose to make you stronger. These bumps are not times to give up, once you have overcome one it gets easier each time and you do build up a bigger resolve and determination (as long as you still believe in the final goal!).
AND FINALLY....I challenge you to take a look today at where you are in life and choose one thing you want to change, it may be to get more active, to apply for that new job, to lose weight, to redecorate the hall, to run 10km (hahaha) but trust me a month from now you will feel so much better (as long as you have taken ACTION and do the above steps).
One final thing about fear of failure – it’s the thought of failing that scares you not the actual process. It should not be labelled ‘failure’ but should be called a ‘learning experience’. Without learning experiences we won’t ever become better, stronger, & more successful in life so don't ever stop 'failing'.
If you would like us to help you we offer a number of online coaching packages from only £5 per month. Take a tour here https://www.sportjournals.co.uk/plans-pricing
Please do email should you have any questions hello@sportjournals.co.uk
Take ACTION today and make that change in your life a reality!