“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”
– Friedrich Nietzsche
Are those illusions serving a purpose? Or are they the prison guards holding you hostage?
“Most people don’t want accurate information, they want validating information. Growth requires you to be open to unlearning ideas that previously served you.“
– James Clear, Author of “Atomic Habits”
What such ideas might be holding you back from reaching your health goals?
– The idea of what a good time is? (I.e. restaurant food, alcoholic beverages, etc.)
– What’s actually involved in getting healthy? (I.e. slow weight loss, permanent lifestyle changes, and a commitment to lifelong exercise habits.)
– The safety of your comfort zone? (I.e. avoiding new activities, being apprehensive toward change.)
“Will I ever enjoy exercise?” You ask yourself.
Maybe. Maybe not.
In the end, none of this is really about the exercise. It’s about becoming the type of person you want to become.
That transformation is what’s going to change your life.
If you fall in love with becoming that person, then you’ll see the value in every activity that moves you closer to that end.
Assume miscommunication before malicious intent.
Many people are quick to jump on the defensive at the mere hint of feeling slighted.
Defensiveness typically results in more defensiveness, resentment, being spiteful, on and on as the situation escalates.
And usually, the origin was nothing but a simple miscommunication. Most people don’t set out to do harm.
This rule does not imply that you were not harmed in some way, just that the intentions of the other person were probably not to intentionally cause you harm. Instead of getting defensive, try to understand where the miscommunication began. This view can help you approach the situation in a calm manner, one that leads to a productive conversation and not a shouting match.
Fitness is a skill that needs practice.
Everyone struggles to replace the “feel-good” foods with the “good-for-you” foods.
If you fall into the trap of comparing yourself to others, you’ll question your ability to succeed.
The only thing separating those who are successful, and those who aren’t, is consistent practice.
Make the commitment to getting better at the skill of fitness.
As someone who lost over 80lbs, and has now been involved in fitness for over a decade, do you want to know the one thing I would’ve done differently?
I would have started sooner.
Your reality is based on how you perceive the world around you.
The world is full of stimuli. As your brain interprets this data you begin to craft a story in your head. That story is your world.
The negative feelings–anxiety, depression, sadness–are all products of those stories you create.
If things aren’t going well and you begin to tell yourself the world is falling apart, guess what? Your world does begin to fall apart.
You can train your brain to tell different stories.
This means you have the power to change those stories, and thus, change your reality.
You can improve your chances of reaching your goals by joining a community of people who already practice those behaviors.
Being involved in such a community helps establish those behaviors as normal.
In our inherent desire to fit in with the group, we’ll find ourselves trying to mimic these normal behaviors.
This is why some people enjoy group classes.
This is why recruiting a friend as your accountability buddy is so helpful.
This is also why working with a coach can drastically improve your chances of success.
When you sign-up with a coach, you also gain access to their community of clients. At A-Team Fitness, we have a community of people that span the country who are dedicated to bettering themselves.
If you struggle to get support at home, finding a community could be a game changer.
The opposite of pleasure is not pain, it’s comfort.
Comfort robs you of an invigorating, worthwhile life.
Comfort imprisons you, holds you captive, and prevents you from growth and a life at your true potential.
People ask me why I run outdoors under all weather conditions. Rain, snow, freezing temps, blistering heat, I’ve done it all.
The reality is that, in Michigan, there are far more unpleasant conditions than pleasant ones.
And it’s precisely because it’s so uncomfortable that it’s so valuable to me.
This discomfort provides perspective, making other daily hassles seem… Less unpleasant.
Often our fear of being uncomfortable is what holds us back from the things we want in life.
It’s ok to say no.
Don’t feel pressured to eat something because it’s offered or in front of you.
When we begin to make healthy changes, we often feel pressured to give in to the requests of friends and family who pull us back into old ways.
They usually don’t mean to sabotage on purpose, those are the behaviors they’re used to.
Changing your life inevitably impacts those closest to you. You have to stop feeling bad about this.
I promise that turning down food will not implode your relationships. (And if it does, well… I don’t think it was the food that was the issue there.)
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