What does success look like to you?
In the fitness world, this question has a unique answer for every individual. For some, it may mean being very lean in their body fat percentage — for others it may simply mean the ability to walk up a flight of stairs without being winded. Just like we believe fitness cannot be a one size fits all program, at CNU Fit we know that success is not a one size fits all term.
We do know, however, that success starts in one place. Most people would say that it starts with the amount of effort you put in to reaching your goals. And while effort is a huge part, success actually starts at a much simpler level: your mind.
Dr. Wilbert R. Matuto, life coach and author of 15 Secrets for Personal Financial Success, has written numerous articles on the subject and advises that if you are serious about being successful you have to start with your thoughts.
In a personal blog of his, he wrote “Success begins in your mind. Stop trying to push everything else. As long as your mind is not ready, nothing will work. Your mentality comes first. Every successful person will confess that they had to change their mentality before their physical life changed.”
This couldn’t be more true. If you don’t change your thought process and gear it toward your goals, you will never have the capacity to reach your goals. Have you ever started exercising because you wanted to lose weight, but fell off the bandwagon? Most people would say yes, and the reason this happens is because they haven’t laid the foundation needed to establish the habits that will lead to success.
If you go into a fitness program with the mentality that you hate fitness and it’s pointless because you will never see results, then you DEFINITELY won’t see results. But if you train your mind to think positively about the journey ahead of you and how amazing that success will feel in the end, then you will be more motivated and your efforts will be more fruitful.
In order to set you up for success, here are some tips to change your mindset so you can reach your goals:
-
Feed your mind
The best way to start changing your mindset is to feed it things that are going to increase your capacity for change. This means start reading positive materials that are going to boost you forward, watch positive programming that is going to nurture your mind, and listen to music or podcasts that are going to alter your perception in a positive light. If you surround yourself with positivity, your mindset will change to a more optimistic outlook and you will be able to envision your goals coming true more easily.
-
Rethink your inner circle
Matthew Kelly, author of The Rhythm of Life: Living Every Day with Passion and Purpose, says “The people we surround ourselves with either raise or lower our standards. They either help us to become the-best-version-of-ourselves or encourage us to become lesser versions of ourselves.” So don’t you want to surround yourself with people who are going to bring you up and support you? We’re not saying to get rid of friends, but to add friends that are going to be positive influencers and help reinforce a positive mentality about your goals.
-
Speak your wants
How many times do you say your goals out loud? If it’s less than once a day, you need to start reminding yourself of them out loud. Not only do you need to keep telling yourself your goals, but you also need to keep reminding yourself why your goals are important. To take it a step further, to really solidify your goals you need to tell them to people! If you let others know what your goals are, you automatically hold yourself more accountable because chances are you don’t want to fail in front of your family and loved ones.
Implementing these tips will help you change your mentality about your goals, and will help you achieve the success you are looking for as long as you put in the effort to surround yourself with positivity!
