The hardest thing about getting fit, putting on weight or even loosing it, is that you have to get out of your comfort zone to do so. It takes dedication to pull yourself out of bed at 6am when it’s pitch black, it requires discipline to throw your runners on when it is cold and wet, and you need to have a focused optimism and self trust that what you are doing will pay off! And the unfortunate truth is that we are not born with these traits, in fact for most of us the struggle in life is having the courage and self control, to concentrate on a goal for long enough that it might be achieved! But while we are not born with these traits, we can certainly train them up and make them stronger, so that when we are feeling off, out, or just not up to it, our fall back line is way higher than the couch, game of thrones and a bag of doritos. Instead it’s a light workout or a extra paragraph on your essay, maybe even as simple as cooking at home instead of ordering take out. This is raising the bar, and it’s our own personal bar, the one we hold ourselves accountable to when no one is looking.
The linch pin is that we can’t achieve or expect big results by doing the same thing. It’s not enough just to want change, we have to be willing to sacrifice whatever it is we are holding on to, to move into the idea of what we want to be. Otherwise....Well we end up like records on repeat. When our desire to change or act, finally overwhelms the desire to take it easy, or just stay relaxed, then some thing all start happening. And that’s just the beginning because after you have made the decision, you have to sustain it! Bust through the frustration, disappointment, feelings of inadequacies or simple CBFs because they are all part of a previous version of yourself. Every-time you go the extra yard, jump a little higher, or study a little longer, you solidify yourself in your new version, until it’s finally automatic. Until you no longer have to set your alarm at 6 am because your body just wakes you up. And this is hard stuff to comprehend! I get caught out on the couch eating ice cream and watching family guy all the time, but as long as I can recognize a habit that is impeding on my development, I can decide not to do it and move forward. Magic.
But their is an ulterior motive to this post as you can no doubt tell by the photos at the bottom! It is not just some ideas on self evolvement, it is also a massive congratulations and tribute to a client that has successfully managed to evolve his habits and tick off some major goals. Over the last 12 weeks Matty has trained ridiculously hard, focusing on what he wanted, having the courage to put himself in uncomfortable situations, trusting in his efforts and possessing the discipline to see his training through. As a result, the boy wonder has lost close to 8 kg and is now blitzing through 5 km runs. To give you some context, when we first started, 2 minutes of jogging was a pretty tough gig, but his application and aptitude has turned him into a running machine! So over the next 6 weeks he’s going to test how fast he can get himself and then before you know it we will be sprinting up Arthurs seat in under thirty minutes!
His efforts have been inspiring and it’s a great lesson and reminder that we can’t just expect change, we have to put it out their and go for it! The photos outline his phenomenal transformation, well done Matty! I look forward to our next run!
If you're looking to start training, want to get back on the band wagon, or need a kick start come get involved, get fantastic results and tick off some of those fitness goals! If you are undecided, take a good look at these photos and get inspired about possibilities!
Also here are some resources that have been shared with me and I used as inspiration to write this (and generally keep on top of things):
http://www.thewaywecame.com- a great personal evolvement reference book
http://vimeo.com/65576562- This is water by David Foster Wallace. A timely reminder (and conveniently a video) of who decides
WEEK ONE WEEK TWELVE
If you're looking to start training, want to get back on the band wagon, or need a kick start come get involved, get fantastic results and tick off some of those fitness goals! If you are undecided, take a good look at these photos and get inspired about possibilities!
http://www.thewaywecame.com- a great personal evolvement reference book
