We tend to think of “confident” as something we are or aren’t. I believe there are other ways to think about it.
One of my Masters Club members posted a powerful reflection on her transformation (mental & physical) that got me thinking of confident as an approach. For those who don’t feel confident in themselves, their abilities, their follow through or any other aspect of habit or persona, this might be a way to ease into confidence.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, click here.
Here’s what she wrote (emphasis mine):
One of the girls said I helped her get through her last race. She had wondered what I say to myself when I am prepping for a heavy lift bc when I move there is NO question that the move will be executed. It was one of the coolest compliments. So, I told her. “How can I make this lift easier? Get planted, engage. You’ve got this, you will lift this with ease, make it happen, you are strong, use your legs, go get it.” I had spent most of my life yelling at myself and it wasn’t working. So with Primal Potential’s help, I tried encouraging myself, it works every time!
Confident is the way she approaches a heavy lift. She decides first. She approaches. She engages. She executes.
It’s an approach.
We miss out on so many opportunities because we hem and haw. We dip our toes in the ocean of success and then run away for the security of the beach behind us.
Decide. Approach. Engage. Execute.
Confidence is your approach.
Get it done. Stop dipping your toes in success and charge forward. Grab a hold of the life you want and go for it. No more turning back and running for comfort.
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My knee is feeling a lot better but I’m still doing what I can to keep weight off it for another 5 days or so. I’ve been seeing my chiropractor twice a week to assess the strength of my knee and today it was much improved. He gave me the green light to bike today (at least that’s how I remember the conversation….) and see how it feels afterwards.
Here’s how today’s workout went down (scaled DT injury):
AMRAP 15
30 cal airdyne bike
9 toes to bar
9 single leg squats to a bench
9 hand release pushups
I’ll tell you what: it was a great workout! I can’t wait to be back to full throttle in the gym.
In other news: I bought a scale today. I haven’t weighed myself in eons. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow. 🙂
On the food front:
Dude. I am ravenously hungry today. My approach is simple: eat more and eat well. I’ve shared before that a few days before I start my period my appetite goes through the roof. There’s no need for me to battle this and resent it – I expect it and I act accordingly.
I eat more & I eat well. Real food. Clean food. Honor my hunger.
I know it doesn’t last forever so I’m not worried about eating significantly more than I would on some other day.
So: onto the food of the day. It started with a coconut meat “tortilla” with grilled chicken & avocado.
A few hours after that I had steak & sweet potato fries from Paleo Power Meals.
It was around dinner time that the hunger monster came around. I had a chicken salad with avocado, brussels sprouts with caramelized onions and then a couple hours after that I made a 2-egg omelet with arugula and broccoli.
Yep. It was a good amount of food but it’s pretty predictable for me. I’m good with it. 🙂
I recently did some 2 week journal reviews for my veteran Fat Loss Fast Track clients and decided it’s time to talk about the basics of fat loss and specific habits that will dramatically accelerate your results.
If you are trying but not getting results, this episode is for you.
If you aren’t trying but want results, this episode is for you.
If you feel stuck, unmotivated or unsure of where to start, this episode is for you.
If you think you know everything, this episode is for you. 😉
We only let our circumstances get in the way of things we’ve decided aren’t that important. Working out. Eating well. Getting enough sleep. Otherwise, we find a way. We make it work.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, click here.
We don’t fail to pick up our kids from school because it’s been a crazy day at work. Why? Because it matters.
I am not here to say that you’re a weak person. But, when we let ourselves be governed by our circumstances, we’re exercising weak will. Weak intent. Weak heart.
I’ve been surprised by how many people have said to me how impressive it is that I’m still going to the gym every day even though I have to stay off my right leg.
I didn’t even really think about it. I just go because that’s what I do. That’s the habit I’ve built. Because all the reasons for me to workout daily still exist and because one minor injury doesn’t change my overall ability.
But I guess it’s true – it would be very easy to use my injury, a circumstance, as a way to justify not going.
There will always be a way to justify not doing something. The question is: will you continue to accept those justifications?
Make a decision & find a way. “The way” won’t always look like you thought it would but that doesn’t mean you don’t have options.
I’ve shared before that when I was getting out of debt, not one single month went according to plan. So what? I adjusted the plan and did what I could.
Adjust your plan. Don’t surrender.
We all have stressful days. We all experience illness, injury or a bad night of sleep.
There is still a way. It might not look how you thought it would, but there is always a way.
Speaking of finding a way…today’s workout made me happy.
Traditional deadlifts are out for me because the setup requires a bit of a squat which aggravates me knee. However, stiff-legged deadlifts seem to be in play! Here’s how today’s workout went down:
EMOM 5 #1
3 moderate weight deadlifts
EMOM 5 #2
1 heavy deadlift
AMRAP 7
1 deadlift
130 m row (one leg only – described in the audio)
2 deadlifts
130 m row
(deadlifts keep climbing until time expires)
The EMOMs mean “every minute on the minute for 5 minutes”. It was a solid workout for being so limited!
On the food front:
Greek yogurt with unsweetened cacao powder after my workout followed by a steak salad and lots of sparkling water.
I’m excited for dinner – it’s cauliflower crust pizza night! Some of my Masters Club clients have been posting their cauliflower pizza from my 2015 recipe and they’re inspired me to make it! Here’s one of the ones posted in the group! Doesn’t this make you want it!?
Want to hear a quote I tell myself throughout the day? “If you find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” ~ Mo Willems
If you’d rather listen to this blog on Anchor, click here.
I remind myself of this quote if I’m in a bad mood, if I’m feeling stressed, if I’m bummed about a choice I made or if I’m angry at someone.
We create the stories we experience with our focus & our thoughts. The beautiful thing about that is we can CHOOSE to leave the story, go to another one, or create a new one.
If I’m feeling stressed and overwhelmed about work, I don’t have to stay in that story. I’ll shift my focus to how lucky I am to have a job. How lucky I am to have people who rely on me and how lucky I am to work in my passion.
If I’m feeling disappointed in a food choice I made or like my physical progress is too slow, I can leave that story. I can choose to create the story of all that is in my power to make a change right now.
If I’m feeling hurt by someone I love, I can choose to leave that story. I can remind myself of how much they love me. I can choose to see the situation as a misunderstanding or as poor communication. I can remind myself that it’s not worth being upset – that relationships are a gift and life is short.
“If you find yourself in the wrong story, leave.” ~ Mo Willems
This is a superpower we all have.
Today’s workout totally crushed my shoulders! Since I’m still on crutches, I’m pretty limited in what I can do, so I had to get creative. Here’s what it looked like
3 rounds of:
7 seated strict press
7 ring rows
7 situps
2 min max effort on bike (arms only)
3 rounds of:
7 seated strict press
7 ring rows
7 situps
2 min max effort on bike (arms only)
3 rounds of:
7 seated strict press
7 ring rows
7 situps
Afterwards I did some recovery work on my shoulders and then got a massage.
On the food front:
I was sooooooo hungry after my massage. I enjoyed the heck out of steak & sweet potatoes in the early afternoon. I made it a bigger meal because I’m headed into Boston and probably won’t be able to eat for about 8 hours or so. I’ll choose not to snack, so I wanted to make sure I ate enough to hold me over.
While I was out, I had a large Americano.
When I got home, I had a huge cobb salad with a few cups of added raw red & green cabbage.
Do you get hung up on your past? Do you let it frustrate you? Does it contribute to your doubts about what you might be able to do in the future? That’s what today’s episode is all about.
It’s time to understand how to change that.
This episode was inspired, in part, by The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews. A couple of the quotes at the center of this episode include:
I do not deny the reality of my situation; I deny the finality of it.
If we familiarize ourselves with the chains of bondage, we prepare our own limbs to wear them.
