Compete Against Yourself

          Welcome to afitnewyou!  No one ever said creating a body change would be easy.  It takes, effort, commitment, dedication, energy and the like.  It also doesn't happen overnight; it takes time to see real change.  With all that is required, your fitness journey is the last place you need outside discouragement.  It is hard enough to stay committed to your goals without the "haters" or anyone for that matter, "throwing shade" your way.  Ironically, the ones who are our biggest critics are usually the ones who are also the most jealous.  But what is even more surprising is that most often our biggest critics are ourselves!  I know for me personally, I can be pretty harsh on myself.  I find it really sad when we knock ourselves as we work on bettering ourselves.  However, I think part of our self-critique comes from being honest with ourselves.  We can be brutally honest because no one knows us better.  No one knows exactly how much energy we have put in except for ourselves.  Because we know both the good and the bad...both the effort that we have given, and where we have had short-comings, we make an ideal competitor for ourselves.  No one is more evenly matched!  So instead of worrying about what anyone else is doing and / or thinks, focus on yourself and push yourself by competing against yourself!

          I've never been a big fan of Crossfit training.  However, I give kudos to any exercise program that motivates people to exercise fanatically.  And I guess something can be said for how fanatical "Crossfitters" become.  I think one of the reasons that people become so zealous about exercise while they do a Crossfit program is because of how achieving your own "personal best" is stressed.  Even though a participant might be part of a group class, the goal is always to work towards hitting a new individual achievement.  The goal is simply to beat what you have done before, not what someone else is doing.  You are competing against yourself, not someone stronger, fitter, younger, or any combination of those.  And that is magnificent because all that really matters is you!  You are your own biggest influence on your health.

          There is a fine line separating seeing what someone else is doing and viewing it as motivational, or discouraging as you compare it to what you have done.  For example, in the gym, it is easy to see someone else lifting heavier weights and formulating an opinion about it.  You can say to yourself "Wow!, I hope I can lift that heavy one day."  Or, you can feel "Wow.  I'm not nearly as strong as that person and never will be, so maybe I should just walk away from these dumbbells."  It happens in the lunch room too.  You can see a co-worker having the most nutritious meal, homemade with all-natural ingredients, and then look down and see your relatively unhealthy meal.  Do you say to yourself "Hmm, their healthy meal looks delicious, I think I would like to try that?" Or, do you wonder why you even tried in the first place?  In either situation, you have to remind yourself that you shouldn't be competing with anyone other than yourself!  Maybe you aren't lifting as heavy as someone else in the gym, but you could certainly be getting stronger than you were.  Maybe you don't have the same time to prep all of your meals, but you can definitely be making healthier nutrition choices each and every day.  Again, the goal is not to be concerned with what other people are or are not doing; the goal is to do better than YOU did yesterday.

          When you had the idea of getting healthier, you thought about what you wanted to look like and / or feel some time down the road.  The thought may have been motivated by what someone else was doing, eating, was wearing or whatever.  But, your thought then turned appropriately to YOU!  Your goals are yours.  Close your eyes, and block everyone else out.  Instead, focus on you, and envision the fitter new you that you are striving to be.  Gyms have mirrors, not windows, because they are meant you to see yourself, not someone else.  To reach your goals, it starts with just doing a healthier thing than you did before.  Help yourself by challenging yourself!  Become your own best competitor.  That doesn't mean bashing yourself if and when you have a set-back.  Just the opposite, it calls your to remind yourself that you are your own best help on your fitness journey.  Challenging yourself is a competitive way to achieve a fit new you!