`Steps to build your motivation and improve your positive mind set:
THE POWER OF INFLUENCE
“Our subconscious often influences our conscious thoughts”
Irrational, self-defeating thoughts and beliefs are extremely common in today’s world. Negative thoughts power negative emotion and lead to negative action or more often than not, inaction. They can influence your very existence and literally shape your life, negating any chance of reaching your full potential.
External: Going into Costa and M&S (other coffee houses and supermarkets are available) and seeing all those lovely foods that you know will slow your progress. Your friends or partner will say to you “you look fine to me”, “don’t take it too far”, “go on have one, one won’t hurt”.
Internal: Self-defeating belief systems. “It’s impossible for me to look like that”, “I have to get this right first time or I’m a failure”, “people will think less of me if I don’t achieve”.
THE POWER OF POSITIVE THOUGHT
“Change your self chat from I should, could and would, to I have, I can and I will”
As much as self-defeating inner thoughts can affect your motivation negatively, positive thoughts will have an equal effect to ramp up your desire and motivation for your journey to success. Your motivation can be influenced by social interactions, both positive and negative. The truth is that no matter who you are, not everyone is going to understand or like what you are setting out to achieve. You are going to get criticism and difference of opinion from others. This can leave you feeling hurt, embarrassed and angry.
Be aware that loved ones are only offering their opinions and trying to be helpful, not trying to deliberately de-rail your efforts (although that can happen). Some indeed can be out of jealousy of your new path to success but some can be sincere. Take close family and friends’ comments mindfully and know that overcoming negativity is part of your journey which builds character and traits, which will stand you in good stead for success to happen. Don’t demolish your motivation by your constant need to fit in. Instead forge a new path! But how do you do this?
DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT IS OUT OF YOUR CONTROL.
“You can’t second guess or change someone else’s thoughts, so don’t waste energy trying, it’s very destructive to your self worth”
- Make a list of “Drivers and Detractors”
This simple step helps you identify the positive and negative influences in your life. It’s essential you do this on your own, because you may find that your “Driver” may also be a “Detractor” and it might be a close friend or a partner. I also recommend you take a few days to compile the list so you have time to write an “intelligent” list not an “emotional” one.
Now you have your refined list you will become more aware of who or what is distracting you from the life you want to live and what is driving you to succeed. Start building an action plan to move forward using the following steps.
- Reduce or eliminate contact with negative influences.
- Embrace the positive aspects of your life and ally yourself with people and material that inspire.
Remember positive influences do not have to be limited to people around you. Look for groups of like-minded people who share your enthusiasm and goals. Interact and research inspirational people who inspire change in you and use any material available to you to find and implement strategies which will help you.
- Lock and Load
No goals = no direction = poor potential for success! Look at it this way. If you were to start your own business, opened up your office and had no business plan, no idea of what that business was aiming to achieve, no sales target, no forecast, well you get the idea, then I’m pretty sure it would fail…. badly! The same goes for your fitness plan.
Set short and long term goals and record your progress. I don’t do guess work. I record all my clients’ progress and we always measure and weigh every three weeks. Keeping a workout diary is not tough and it will keep you on track with your training and nutrition. For your body to change you need to know if you have improved or stayed the same. A diary will ensure you “know” that you have got stronger, faster, leaner and if you need to “switch things up”.
Top Tip: Know your long-term goal but focus on the short-term goals.
THE BODY WILL ACHIEVE WHAT THE MIND CONCEIVES
“What’s required is to prime yourself mentally for success”
- Get it out there: Accountability is Key
I’m going to ask you to do something which may make you uncomfortable. I want you to tell the world what your goals are. Well maybe not the world but do tell loved ones, your best friend and if you use social network sites, post it on your timeline.
Why?
The fear of failing is a strong and powerful motivator. Sharing your goal with your close social groups and family will immediately give you accountability, affecting your subconscious in a very positive way. It is amazing what even the small things can do to our continuing motivation towards success. Having friends and family post words of encouragement as you progress can create a snowball effect. This kind of ultimate reinforcement leads to great results and continued change.
CONSISTENCY
“The all or nothing at all trap. This way of thinking is a little extreme. Success comes from small steps repeated daily”
4 . Take before and after pictures, measure and if you must, weigh (actually
don’t do the last one, I dare you)
I hate weighing scales – FACT! There I said it, it’s out in the open. It’s the most pointless way to gauge and record changes to body composition. Why do we say this? Well, when asked, most people will say they want to lose weight as their goal. Now we know that weight loss is a flawed goal from the outset. There is no differentiation from lean tissue and fat. Therefore a drop in weight on the scale could mean lean tissue loss and not the fat loss we really desire. This is common place in many of the fad diet programmes currently saturating the market. They are a recipe for metabolic disaster and deserves a post all of its own.
I’ve worked with clients who in a three week period have lost 8 inches in total from their body and their weight has dropped by half a pound. Awesome result, yeah?! Err no! The client has gone home depressed and unhappy with the result. It seems that no matter how much I educate them in the art of change the “scales” have power over reason itself and manages to entice them back, much like a pied piper! Throw them OUT now, please!
I’m now going to make this very clear. A pound of fat and a pound of muscle is exactly the same WEIGHT but the composition and SIZE is entirely different!
The best indicators of real change are photos and measurements. They don’t lie and will be that push to do more and keep at it. Seeing yourself getting leaner and changing shape for the better will be that extra drive you need to for real success.
- Be in the know!
Become what you wish to be. Read about it, learn about it, follow it.
We all need inspiration on a daily basis. Someone to connect with, inspire, encourage and enthuse us. With the invention of social media there are a plethora of like-minded people, inspirational web sites, the list goes on, which we can follow, connect with and get inspiration from.
Below are a few recommendations for you:-
Twitter:
@CRE8WHATYOUWANT
www.CoachCalorie.com
Facebook:
Kirk Miller Personal Trainer and Fitness Model
Emma Brace – Physique Elite Master Trainer
www.bodybuilding.com
Finally, remember this, perfection can set you up for procrastination and then failure! We all make mistakes, don’t let one bump in the road rock your feeling of self-worth. Be realistic, relapse is normal and should be expected, focus on your short-term goals.
“Change happens because you want it and not others for you!”
EMPOWER CHANGE. INSPIRE SUCCESS.
Co-written by Simon de Burgh and Matt Warner
Simon de Burgh is the 2 X winner of “Gym Based Personal Trainer of The Year 2011 & 2012” at The National Fitness Awards and a Physique Elite DTP Specialist. Simon has been in the sports and fitness industry for over 16 years and trains clients to transform their bodies and coaches long distance athletes, creator of LDST (Long Distance Strength Training System), writes and co-writes with other Personal Trainers.
Matt Warner is a Personal Trainer – DTP Transformation Specialist – Sports massage therapist and founder of CRE8WHATYOUWANT.
Specialising in areas of strength training, mental preparation and sports massage allows Matt to bring together each piece of the performance puzzle. He works mainly with athletes from junior level up to world championship level in many disciplines, as well as clients looking for body re-composition and ensures that they gain all of the attributes needed to reach their physical and psychological potential.