Let us begin with me telling you who don't know that one of the words I have come to
despise in my time as a trainer is the word “can’t”. I don’t believe the word
should actually exist let alone be used. In fact it is rarely used in my gym
because most of my clients are well aware that I don’t believe in “can’t” and
if they are unaware they soon realise it. Usually around about the time they first try and
tell me they “can’t do something” and I then turn around and make them do 10 burpees.
Yes I know I'm evil lol. But hey they learn pretty quickly not to say the word
around me ;)
Why do I despise this word?
Because it creates barriers and carries a negative connotation, two things we
do not want or need when we are trying to break barriers and achieve goals.
One of my favourite sayings is
"Whether you think you can or whether you think you can't- you're
right" and it is true and I have seen it applied in many situations. If
you walk into the gym and load up the squat bar with confidence that today you
are going to squat 5kgs heavier than last week and you tell yourself throughout
the stages of getting under the bar, feeling that heavy weight on your
shoulders, lowering to the ground for that first rep that you CAN do it before
pushing back up and repeating, then chances are your goal will be successful
(keeping in mind that it is realistic of course.) On the other hand if you walk
into the gym and load up the squat bar with confidence that today you are going
to squat 5kgs heavier than last week yet when you feel that weight and take
it to the ground all of a sudden realise
it’s pretty heavy and start to think you CAN’T do it then chances are you won’t.
Similarly if you walk into the
kitchen one day and think "I can resist that ice-cream in the freezer I
can I can I can" and instead of opening up the freezer and staring at the
ice cream contemplating whether to eat it you open the fridge grab a water
bottle and walk straight back out, then you have just there won a small
mental battle whether you realise it or not. If you can do that a second and
third and fourth time then the power of the way you think is slowly going to
be getting stronger. People don't fully realise the power of their
thoughts and thinking.
Have you ever had a goal that you
have wanted for so long but never gotten there and could never actually see
yourself getting there?
Well here is the "tough
love" part. Point blank the reason you are struggling and have struggled
in the past to get where you want to be and to reach your goal is because your
mind is winning over your body every time. The fact that you are so convinced
you are never going to get there is EXACTLY why you aren't already there. It's
that horrible thing called self doubt. Your body hears everything
your mind says and let’s face it if your mind is convinced that this is as
good as it's going to get why should your body try lead a different path?
Have I ever doubted myself and where I want to go and if I'll ever reach my goals? Of course! Us PTs are human too u know ;) lol. But in all seriousness I have spent a good portion of my life dealing with self-doubt it’s something I have discussed in previous posts and if I’m honest I still do sometimes. For a recent example I would give me whilst doing comp prep. There was probably a good 8-10 weeks of the 12-14 (so quite a large chunk) where I didn't feel like I was changing or progressing some days really wondered if I was ever going to be “stage ready”. Was I kidding myself to be planning on getting up there in a bikini in front of heaps of people who would all be picking apart every inch of my physique (yep everyone is a critic it is sad but true). Despite my days of small bursts of self-doubt, endless selfies to try find some or ANY change (which I did and is why I highly recommend progress pics) I pushed ahead anyway, sticking to my plan, training and eating right and just simply having FAITH in the process even when it all felt hopeless. It was about trying to start beating that self-doubt with a little bit of self-belief! And of course my favourite way to get anywhere: consistency so it needed to be consistent self-belief.
Self- belief and self-confidence does not come easy to most of us and therefore it is something we have to work on but the power of positive thinking will get you a lot further in life than negative thinking. You know there will always be excuses available as to why you CAN'T do something and they are ENDLESS. But how about trying something new and thinking of reasons to prove yourself that you CAN do something. YOU CAN do this. YOU WILL do this. SUCCESS is the only result you will accept.
I have a "vision board" in my room that has pics on it of me, people I admire as well as motivational quotes etc. These positive thinking and images are something I see every day and help me to think I CAN instead of I CAN’T. Surround yourself with positive things/people/activities and behaviours and start using positive thoughts in your everyday. You will be amazed at how powerful it can be.
Have I ever doubted myself and where I want to go and if I'll ever reach my goals? Of course! Us PTs are human too u know ;) lol. But in all seriousness I have spent a good portion of my life dealing with self-doubt it’s something I have discussed in previous posts and if I’m honest I still do sometimes. For a recent example I would give me whilst doing comp prep. There was probably a good 8-10 weeks of the 12-14 (so quite a large chunk) where I didn't feel like I was changing or progressing some days really wondered if I was ever going to be “stage ready”. Was I kidding myself to be planning on getting up there in a bikini in front of heaps of people who would all be picking apart every inch of my physique (yep everyone is a critic it is sad but true). Despite my days of small bursts of self-doubt, endless selfies to try find some or ANY change (which I did and is why I highly recommend progress pics) I pushed ahead anyway, sticking to my plan, training and eating right and just simply having FAITH in the process even when it all felt hopeless. It was about trying to start beating that self-doubt with a little bit of self-belief! And of course my favourite way to get anywhere: consistency so it needed to be consistent self-belief.
Self- belief and self-confidence does not come easy to most of us and therefore it is something we have to work on but the power of positive thinking will get you a lot further in life than negative thinking. You know there will always be excuses available as to why you CAN'T do something and they are ENDLESS. But how about trying something new and thinking of reasons to prove yourself that you CAN do something. YOU CAN do this. YOU WILL do this. SUCCESS is the only result you will accept.
I have a "vision board" in my room that has pics on it of me, people I admire as well as motivational quotes etc. These positive thinking and images are something I see every day and help me to think I CAN instead of I CAN’T. Surround yourself with positive things/people/activities and behaviours and start using positive thoughts in your everyday. You will be amazed at how powerful it can be.
Hope this helps anyone who is struggling to reach a goal or who has too many “I can’ts” happening in their head! Believe in yourself, have FAITH and trust in the process, stay consistent no matter what and NEVER GIVE UP ON SOMETHING YOU TRULY WANT J
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