So what happens when you set goals and smash them? What is next? Whether they are personal or professional goals, we need to learn to take stock and enjoy the moment and the body we are in.
I am all about setting goals and striving for it. Whatever that might be to you. I have short and long term goals and I know that my own long term goals will simply not happen without achieving the small steps along the way. I have seen massive changes in my own body over the last three years and definitely in the past year, but has my mind caught up to what my body looks like and can actually do now?
I think a massive thing we all do is not to take stock and not to give ourselves that pat on the back. Instead we stay in a place filled with talk of our own limiting beliefs, "oh yeah I'll do that when I am skinny, I will start training there when I lose more weight, my goal weight is... so I'll do that then, oh I hate my ear lobes so I can't really wear that" The list goes on and on. But what about taking it right back to the beginning, whether your journey is that of weight loss, beginning a strength program or becoming the runner you are today, that starting point seemed like the hardest step you will ever take and you thought then oh when I lose weight, when I get strong and lean or when I run my first 5km then I will be happy, then I will wear that, then I will be me. So you work at your goal and get there, but there doesn't seem to look like it did when you were at the start.
Suddenly now there is more concern and more things to worry about like now it's your arms or it's your thighs, they are just not thin, lean or strong enough, you need to do more and so the almost negative goal setting can set in. This body image struggle is real for so many men and women, I have friends and even myself on days, feel that some thing or some part of me isn't enough. It is so draining. I know people who have not only lost weight but have transformed their lives and are now healthy, strong athletes and yet they still have no body confidence. This is where I feel the connection between training your body and training your mind must kick in. People can program a tailored fitness plan for you and you can in 12 weeks be in incredible shape, but what you need to do and take accountability for is your mind and your mental fitness. All the squats in the world will only bring you on physically, it needs to be dovetailed with positive mental talk and work on yourself.
We are so hard on ourselves now and there is an air of never being enough that is why personal mental work needs to happen. Personal development is something I am passionate about, you need to find things that educate you, challenge you and make you feel centred. We are bombarding with images and shows on line and on TV of the new wave of celebrity who are famous for doing nothing except talking selfies and having vast amounts of wealth, this along with structured photos with great light and they can actually appear to have it all, the body, the face and all the material objects in the world. Remember that real life v social media life is very different and in order to feel your very best, never compare yourself to anyone.
The greatest gift we all have is that there is only one of each us, so we need to own it and rock out and be the best version of ourselves.
It isn't easy and like anything worth having it will take time and patience, but I truly feel its an exercise all of us should be doing.