I was staring at myself in the mirror again. This had become a bad habit recently. Every time I passed by a mirror, I would stare as if it was someone I recognized but couldn’t quite place a finger on it.
And it wasn’t a good thing. I was 185 pounds of …blech.
What had happened to me? Not that I was ever that in shape. But I was never this out of shape.
Those late nights playing cards, eating stuffed-crust pizza, Nacho Cheese Dorito’s, and ice-cold Modelo’s were fun.
Maybe a little too fun.
This time, as I stared at myself in the mirror, I faced the conundrum you may face right now.
Where do you even start?
How do you get in shape now that it’s gone this far?
It seems so far away, so hard, so…unattainable.
But it’s very attainable for you and for anyone out there that wants to get themselves back in shape.
Because I’ll tell you the truth — most people fail within the first few weeks, if they even get started.
If you can get past the first month, your success rate will skyrocket.
Read on if you want to get
The Mental Workout
“All progress takes place outside the comfort zone.”
~Michael John Bobak
Working in both personal training and personal development through the past seven years has made clear one thing — both physical and mental development are leaves from the same branch.
Whether you are thinking about challenging yourself to work your ass off for a great promotion, start that business you’ve been dreaming of, or to transform yourself and rock a beach body in four months, you will find that there is one thing that can always ruin your plans.
Anytime you step outside your comfort zone,
the biggest hurdle you must clear is yourself.
Your own mental roadblocks and negative feedback are dream killers, goal smashers, and hope dashers
And speaking from experience, it sucks.
Even worse, these roadblocks will often stop you before you even start.
In short, no matter your goal, rip that band-aid off and go.
Don’t let your past failures haunt you, don’t let complacency talk you out of it, and don’t let the potential fear of failure scare you off.
And don’t wait until you are “ready” or for a better time, because that time will never come.
“Action is the foundational key to all success.”
~Pablo Picasso
It’s time to take action.
Prepare for Game Day
I once sat in a gym and watched a guy walk in. He walked from machine to machine, bench to bench, and scale to scale. He played with the machines, adjusted the benches, and weighed himself five or six times. And then he left.
Never to be seen again, as far as I know.
First, let me say that I regret not recognizing the cry for help when it was happening. I wish I could have that moment back.
The poor guy didn’t understand what he was doing. He probably felt so uncomfortable with the overwhelming amount of machines, his lack of knowledge, and the staring eyes.
But the actual defeating blow was his lack of any sort of plan.
And that was all it took — he gave up.
Don’t let that be you. If you aren’t familiar with the gym setting, functional exercises, or good workout routines, then get a trainer (for a while at least) or enlist the help of a friend.
But go to the gym that first day prepared.
Don’t let lack of preparation deal you a defeating blow.
Make These “Can’t-Miss” Meetings
Put your schedule on a calendar in red, block out the time you need, let everyone know you are busy at these times.
If you want to do Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, at 5 PM, perfect — follow that schedule.
All it takes is missing one gym session, and the lead domino teeters.
If you have to miss, then make sure you get back at it the next day.
I’ve been working out now for ten years. I’ve seen people come and go. And the biggest reason I see people go is that they miss one day.
We all have things come up, and I’ve missed my fair share of sessions. But the most important thing that I do — I get back on that horse the next day, no matter how badly I want to skip.
Once I do, I feel great, and I’m back in my groove.
We develop a well, I missed last time, so I guess it doesn’t matter if I eat ten slices of pizza for dinner and miss tomorrow mindset.
And when we do, that lead domino falls.
Don’t let that domino fall.
But, Wait, Don’t Get Too Into It
I have a friend (you probably do too) who jump-starts the new year by hitting the gym like a madman. Every day, two hours, running, and weight lifting. Nothing impedes his gym time.
Until January 21st. Then eleven months get in the way.
Set a good schedule, but don’t be like my friend.
Working out is excellent for you, and it’s also supposed to be fun. Or, at the very least, not miserable for two hours a day (plus recovery time).
If you work out every day and have zero life, no fun, and won’t even allow yourself a cheeseburger and a beer once in a while, mark my words — you will fail.
You will overwork yourself, hate life and want to curl up in a ball to recover for a week.
Set an easy schedule to adhere to. Three to four days a week and remember to have fun during (and outside) of gym time.
Know Your Goal — Now Let it Go
“Success usually comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it.”
~Henry David Thoreau
So you want to run a marathon in three months, bench-press four-hundred pounds in six months, or have a “beach bod” in four months.
All that is great — they tell you to have a goal. And they’re right.
Have a goal that you can strive for and hit.
And then let it go.
The mountain climber doesn’t look at the peak once he begins his ascent. His focus has to be a few feet in front of him because that’s where he could falter.
And that’s where yours has to be, too.
Think about your goal once a day, strive for it, but then let it go — focus on today’s task that will get you there.
Can You Get Past One Month?
“The clock is ticking. Are you becoming the person you want to be?”
~Greg Plitt
You walk in front of that mirror and stare at yourself again, wondering where it went wrong.
But this time, instead of wondering where to go from here. You make a decision — it’s time to go for it.
Follow the steps above to take action, develop a plan, and head to the gym.
Your mental preparedness will help you with any hurdle you may encounter on your way to success.
Because once you get over the mental obstacles and the first month, the rest is easy…
