We live in a culture of immediate results and instant gratification. We want what we want, and we want it now. This is a recipe for disaster when it comes to fitness.
Good things take time, and there are no shortcuts. If you’ve just recently started working out, don’t expect bulging muscles and six-pack abs right away. Often the biggest obstacles you’ll encounter on the road toward your goals are your own thoughts and doubts. It’s easy to get discouraged when you’re not seeing the progress you expected to see immediately.
So how do you stick with it? How do you push through the tough times, the self-doubt, and the slow progress? One possible answer is much simpler than you’d think. All you have to do is take all those thoughts, feelings, and frustrations… and put them aside. Then go ahead and do what you set out to do. Simple, right? We know it’s easier said than done, but let’s take a closer look.
“Performance” is defined as “the execution of an action.” Look as closely as you want; you won’t find any mention of thoughts, feelings, or concerns. There is a misconception that in order to perform at a high level and achieve extraordinary results, one needs to have supreme confidence, focus, positive thinking, and motivation. Not only is this untrue, it’s a trap that will most likely prevent you from reaching your goals. The most successful people are not always confident, motivated, or laser-focused. They feel the same feelings of doubt, fatigue, and frustration with their own tasks. They just find a way to push through the negativity and do them anyway. They perform.
If given the opportunity, we will think of a million reasons not to do something. Whether the reason is, “I’m tired,” “I don’t feel like it,” “This isn’t working fast enough,” “I’ll do it tomorrow,” or any number of other excuses, the result is often the same… inactivity. In this regard, our brains are our own worst enemies, out to sabotage our plans for success. So why not cut out the middleman between you and doing what you need to do? Take that little voice that tells you to skip your workout and put it on mute. Once you do that, there’s no longer anything in the way of completing your task. Those thoughts will always be there, make no mistake, but it doesn’t mean you have to listen to them.
So the next time those thoughts come up, telling you to stop, to give up, to surrender --- let them go in one ear and out the other. You’ve got a workout to do. You've got a treadmill to get on. You've got a bike to ride. You’ve got a goal to reach, and nothing and no one (not even yourself) is going to stop you.
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