It’s hard to fight an enemy who has outposts in your head. ~Sally Kempton, Esquire, 1970
“You think too much.”
That’s what I heard from my husband last night while I was talking to him about my fitness woes. I was telling him that I have all these lofty fitness goals but I condemn myself to failure before I even start. In my heart, I want to run a 5k, a 10k, a half marathon and compete in a triathalon.
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try. -Beverly Sills
I look for training programs to complete all these challenges. But I look for them for the wrong reasons. I look at them to confirm what (I think) I know in my head…that I can’t do it. That it’s too hard. That I’m not dedicated enough. That I don’t have enough time.
That I’ll fail.
Negative self talk….Line 1!
The thing that is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself. -Anna Quindlen
In a sense, I am a perfectionist. I don’t allow my self to finish (or sometimes, even start) things because I “know” that I won’t be able to do the training “perfectly”. I “know” that I won’t be able to run the race “perfectly”. I “know” that I won’t be able to meet my goals “perfectly”.
So, if I can’t do them “perfectly”, what’s the point in even trying?
Negative self talk…Line 2!
So, how can I achieve (or even start) my goals if I’m already convinced that I’ll fail?
Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. -Josh Billings
Easy. Just put one foot in front of the other. With each step we take, we are one step closer to our fitness goals.
Are you nervous about running (or walking) a 5k? No problem. Concentrate on running (or walking) 30 seconds. Once you can run (or walk) 30 seconds, concentrate on running (or walking) 1 minute. Keep running (or walking), gain confidence, repeat.
Are you nervous about running (or walking) a 10k? No problem. Concentrate on running (or walking) 30 seconds. Once you can run (or walk) 30 seconds, concentrate on running (or walking) 1 minute. Keep running (or walking), gain confidence, repeat.
Are you nervous about running (or walking) a half marathon? No problem. Concentrate on running (or walking) 30 seconds. Once you can run (or walk) 30 seconds, concentrate on running (or walking) 1 minute. Keep running (or walking), gain confidence, repeat.
Don’t let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something stand in the way of your doing it. The time will pass anyway; we might just as well put that passing time to the best possible use. ~Earl Nightingale
You catch my drift. Take those daunting tasks and break them down. No one is going to be able to run a 5k the first time they ever tie on those shoes. Perfection is an impossibility. Perseverance, desire, success, now that’s a different story.
You can achieve anything you want to. All you have to do is take that first step. Believe in yourself. Believe in your abilities. Believe in your strengths.
And I’ll work on believing in mine.
If I am not for myself, who will be? -Pirke Avoth
(Visited 45 times, 1 visits today)