Why you are Stronger than You Think
Every day we come across people who are having trouble maintaining consistency with their health and fitness. For many, it is a source of pain and embarrassment; “Why can’t I do this? Why do I always fail?” are the two phrases that are most common.
Before I go further, I want you to know one thing; you are not alone. Many people struggle with this mental anguish and if you are reading this, I hope it means that you are willing to try these following steps to ensure success.
We at MPT Transformations have trained people from all walks of life; we have trained millionaires, housewives, CEO’s, self-employed business owners and single mothers. We have seen it all. Although these people all come from differing walks of life, they all have one defining similarity that connects them all….they all want to change.
Many people come to us near broken, and with a mentality so fractured that they view themselves as useless, disempowered and unable to change.
As part of our mindset training, THE FIRST STEP we employ with our clients is to get them to list what they are good at…. For the millionaire, it will be goal setting, for the housewife it is invariably the general wellness of the house and all of its members, for the CEO’s it is people and time management, for the self-employed business owners it is discipline and work ethic and for the single mothers (perhaps the hardest job on this list) it is juggling everything to do with their children’s’ lives and ensuring that they are happy, healthy and cared for.
You, like them, may be saying “What has this got to do with my health and fitness”. The answer is EVERYTHING. Many people don’t understand that they are generally successful in many facets of their lives. However, they generally only concentrate on the negatives, or weaknesses, that hinder their health and fitness.
In STEP TWO, we analyse the responses given by our clients and then draw up their strengths. For the millionaire, it is their sheer determination to be successful; they will work a 23 hour day if it means they will be successful. They will fly to Sydney at 5am and have a meeting at Melbourne that same day at 5pm if it means that they are ensuring their current and future success. The housewife will not rest until her house is clean, the food is stocked and the kids and partner taken care of. The CEO has amazing people skills, is on time, has an amazing mind for his business and works his tail off. The Self-employed business owner is working ALL the time….no days off, no ‘leaving work at work’….nothing. The single mum does it all….she gets the kids up, drops them at school, goes to work, picks the kids up, cooks, cleans, does it ALL.
After this step, the clients are feeling great. They see their strengths and they start to feel good. Yet, they still don’t quite understand the importance of this as yet.
Guys, the answer to this is simple. All of these people are accomplishing great things. All of these people work hard in their respective roles. All of these people are achieving great things every day. Yet, all of these people acknowledge that despite all of their successes they are still not as fit, healthy or vital as they would like to be.
In STEP THREE we connect the dots. Every one of these people has skills that can be transferred over to help them with their health and fitness.
The millionaire is hard working, excellence driven and tireless in his pursuit of success. BUT, what good is this success and wealth if it means he won’t live past 60? Take 30 minutes out of your day to train. 2-3 hours of your week to be healthy and you will be HEALTHIER, MORE ENERGETIC and MORE SUCCESSFUL. The same goes with the CEO and the self-employed business owner. By eating better they will both be able to think clearer, work more effectively and be happier in general. People with stressful jobs generally suffer great burnout at certain times of the year. By eating well, this can help them feel better throughout the day, regulate their blood sugar and mood levels and ensure a better quality of sleep.
The housewife and the single mother also need to be shown how their current strengths can be translated and used to enhance their health. First and foremost, these two women are MASTERS of time management. They need to be. Secondly, the housewives and single mothers we see are often so locked-in on creating a positive future for their kids and households that they put THEMSELVES last. This is a noble attitude to have, but think about this; what happens if you aren’t there? Who will look after everyone if you are gone? Mothers especially need to think about how their own health can benefit those around them. If mum gets fitter and healthier, she will be more energetic, she will be happier and she will be that grandma that all the other grandmas want to be like. Also, it will be a great example to their children. Kids idolise their parents, and the positive and negative behaviours that parents exhibit often dictate how children’s attitudes form as they grow into adults.
What everyone must realise is that they are good at many things. They are good at time management, they are selfless, they are driven and they are willing. These are all GREAT starting points to regaining and keeping one’s health and fitness.
When you start to tell yourself that you are hopeless, before long, you actually believe it.
Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of your health, or lack thereof it, try to focus on what you do well and use your strengths to make you a healthier person. If you need to, use those around you as a push. Say to yourself “I will be a role model to my kids” or “I will be the best CEO in this state” or “I’ll be even BETTER at my job” if I am healthier.
With this attitude you cannot fail, because you acknowledge that you are strong and you have a focus. This has worked for many of my clients and it will work for you too.
Have a great day, everyone. And remember, you are stronger than you think.
