People ask me from time to time, “How can I get in shape like you?” If you can learn to embrace the words discipline and hard work, I can assure you you’ll be on your way to the transformation you desire. My fitness journey started when I was just a little boy at the age of 6 or 7. I played soccer, baseball, and most importantly football, which carried me all the way through college on a scholarship to the University of Massachusetts (Amherst).
The summer before 9th grade was the first time I’d ever tried to lift weights. I quickly learned that although playing sports came naturally to me, lifting weights took a lot more effort in the beginning. I hated the early stages of not being able to perform certain exercises well or lift the different amounts of weight I expected to, because I knew I was capable of doing these things and needed to achieve those goals to be at my best as an athlete. This is when I learned how to mentally lock in. You see it was engaging my mind with the target, keeping my eyes focused on the prize, and knowing that one day I’d achieve my goals that empowered me to build the strength without quitting and reach the goals I set for myself. Always remember that you must be more mentally tough than physically tough!
What’s your goal? What do you aspire to accomplish in your life, whether in fitness or otherwise? Always remember these three things as get you started:
- Define your goal and assign a realistic timeline for achieving it.
- Take small steps on a daily or weekly basis to accomplish your goal.
- As you work towards your goal, celebrate the milestones and always keep your target squarely in mind. For example, if your goal is to run a mile in 7 minutes, keep that time in mind and every day you run, work to shave off a few seconds to get closer to that 7-minute mark.
Now that you’ve set your goal, here are a few tips to help you MENTALLY LOCK IN:
- Decide that having a quitter’s mentality is unacceptable.
- Never be discouraged by the person next to you. Only focus on you.
- Embrace challenges. If you shy away from them, you’ll never be an overcomer.
- Practice hard work and discipline in everything that you do.
- Try your best and have a big HEART: courage, gusto, and emotion.
- Always support others on their journey.