It’s been another week of PB’s (personal bests), first-time achievements, and moments of pride at Strong Women Can. And all our celebrating has got me thinking… what is it about our members that allows them to keep breaking their personal records, achieve their fitness goals, and stay motivated in the studio?
So many people set goals that they never achieve. In fact, so many people don’t set goals because they know they’ll never achieve them!
Every day our members are learning how to break away from this all-too-common behaviour. And I must say, they are nailing it! This week alone, we have seen 6 members complete their first and/or longest fun run, we have seen 5 members smash their personal deadlift record, and we have heard truly inspiring stories from some of our members who have reached their fitness and weight loss goals by finding a sustainable way to feel more energetic and be body confident.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not all been sunshine and rainbows. There have been moments of upset, work and family commitments to juggle, injuries to train around, and new skills that need constant fine-tuning. All these obstacles hinder progress, much to the frustration of members who are working so hard towards their fitness goals! But despite the constant challenges that we like to tie up in a bundle called “LIFE”, our members continue to show up no matter what.
1. They set clear goals
Yes, you need a target in order to know what you’re aiming for. But the most important reason to set a goal is to understand WHY you’re aiming for it. When we have purpose, it gives our actions more meaning. Meaning and purpose allows us to be emotionally invested in the outcome, which keeps us motivated.
So if you want more motivation, set goals and understand why they are important to you so that you can invest emotionally and be constantly motivated to achieve your dreams.
2. They keep showing up
Success is never a linear process, and nor should it be. If success was straight forward, everyone would have access to everything they ever wanted.
Success is reserved for those willing to overcome hurdles and keep showing up even when they’ve lost sight of the finish line. Will the road be hard at times? Yes. Will you get frustrated and feel like giving up at times? YES. This is called life. Deal with it. Or don’t, and never achieve your goals. The good news is that life’s a choice, you can partake in it as much as you want to.
3. They know that expectations are not reality
When our members started training for their first ever running event, they had no idea what to expect. So naturally, they made it up in their head (as we all do because our brains need certainty. If we don’t know how the story ends, our brain will literally make it up). Some exceeded their own expectation, others didn’t. One of our team even broke her arm and had to stop running for a month prior to the big day. Yet she still ran the event!
Most people give up or lose motivation when things don’t meet their expectations. But the fact is, things rarely do, because expectations are set with no foresight for what life is going to throw your way. Expectations are futile. Visions are better. Have a clear vision of what success means and looks like to you. And commit to creating your vision regardless of the timeline. Run event #1 might not have been perfect for everyone but run event #4 or #10 could be… ????
4. They are an active part of the community.
People thrive off people. We learn, we inspire, we champion, and we achieve in company. It’s in our DNA to thrive as a collective unit. So, if you’re hanging around with people who don’t value health and fitness, or don’t understand your goals, they will bring you down because we all have an inherent need to belong.
Our members use our community to their advantage. They organise extra training sessions together and show up for each other. They share their accomplishments and frustrations via Facebook and whatsapp so that they are always supported and understood. And most importantly, they ask for support or guidance from those that are more experienced.
Every successful person has a strong community behind them.
5. Their approach is sustainable
Every single member who achieved their goal this week, bar none, have decided to continue working towards a bigger and better goal.
This is not always the case. So many people need to stop for a break (or collapse in a heap) after reaching a goal because the process of getting there was so unsustainable. Think about that friend you have who loses a heap of weight, only to stack it back on again. Or the person who trains for a competition, only to break down halfway through the season.
If you don’t create a successful process that you can sustain in everyday life, you are setting yourself up for long-term failure. Which leads to loss in self-confidence, and a hesitancy to set new goals.
Our members are learning the importance of patience, planning and taking easily achievable yet consistent steps towards their goals. And they are being richly rewarded by this approach!
If you adopt these 5 principles, you too can achieve your fitness goals.
If you’d like to find out how to take your health and fitness to the next level, contact us today to arrange your free consult. In the consult, we’ll discuss your goals, challenges and help you form an action plan for long-term, sustainable results.
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