If you think it, you will be it

I've been thinking a lot over the last few days and conveniently got Mish's other book Crunchtime in the mail yesterday and started reading it last night.


In her book, Mish talks about using the word, "hopefully" as in "hopefully I'll lose XXXkg by XXX"  instead of saying "I will lose XXXkg by XXX".  She says that using the word "hopefully" means we're setting ourselves up for the possibility of failing instead of being positive and aiming to achieve what it is you're wanting to achieve.  I didn't realise how much I use that word "hopefully" until I started to think about it.  Even this afternoon during my PT session, my PT said something about the weight dropping off me if I keep going the way I am to which I replied, "hopefully".  No sooner did the word come out of my mouth, did I realise what I was saying to myself.  I was chucking one leg on each side of the fence so if I did achieve that goal, I could say to myself "well I knew I could do it" but if I didn't I'd be able to say "I knew it wouldn't happen" to quell that feeling of disappointment.  I quickly corrected myself and agreed that the weight will keep dropping off me if I keep going at it.  


It reminded me of that old saying "if you think it, you will be it" or words to that effect.  From now on, I'm going to pay great attention to the words I think (all that self talk) and the words I say to others to try and catch myself in thinking this way.


Of course, the saying "if you think it, you will be it", probably shouldn't be taken too literally.  After all, R Kelly sang, "I believe I can fly" but the closest to flying he'll ever do is in a Boeing 747 or a handglider etc, no matter how much he believes it.


Which I think is probably a good thought to ponder when considering my next pre-season task.  The goals have to be hard enough so that I don't just do some pansy arse effort because it's all too easy, but then they shouldn't be TOO hard that they're impossible (ie aiming to lose all 40kg in 12 weeks, or becoming a size 6 or whatever).  


Let me ponder some more on that...

Task 2: Get Real - No More Excuses

So our second pre-season task was thinking about the excuses we make for ourselves to either not exercise or not eat healthy and finding some solutions to them.  


I've been a bit slow in recording them as I really wanted to think long and hard about them and although at first I didn't think I had many, the more I thought about it, the more wrong I realised I was.  So here they are: 


Internal excuses:

• I'm too tired - Go to bed earlier instead of staying up so late!!!
• I'm too fat - If I keep exercising and eating right I won't be anymore, if I stop, I will be forever
• I'm not fit enough - Continuous exercise will change this - just do it
• People will laugh at me because I look silly/I feel out of place in the gym because they're all fit - If they laugh at me, that's their problem, who cares what they think.  I might look silly now but once I get the hang of it, I won't any more.  Anyway, who wants to be friends with people like that?!  If I keep going, I'll be one of the fit people.
• Miss XYZ can eat whatever she wants and not exercise and she isn't fat so this chocolate/cheesecake/ice cream etc won't hurt me - Miss XYZ must have good genes or is just lucky (or will suddenly balloon one day).  Maybe she does work out at the gym but doesn't tell anyone, or maybe she goes to the toilet and vomits it all back up.
• I've worked really hard so I deserve it - if I've worked hard, why spoil it with bad food? 
• A little bit won't hurt - A little bit WILL hurt because I'll want more
• I'm just big boned not fat -  Rubbish!  If I really were just big boned, why does my weight keep changing? 
• Some caffeine will keep me awake - Drinking water and getting some fresh air will also help wake me up.  So will going to bed earlier.

External Excuses (within my control):

• It's too hot/cold/windy/rainy - go to the gym, do a circuit inside comprising of sit ups, push ups, squats etc, get some of Mish's DVDs for such occasions
• I can't find/don't have any clean socks or don't have any clean gym gear - just wear what I've got - they're only going to get dirty anyway... and make sure I buy more socks and gym gear ASAP
• I can't afford it - cut spending in other areas, 
• I don't have time - make time - go straight after work or get up earlier and go before work.  This isn't optional.
• My knees/wrists hurt - find exercises I can do where it won't impact on these parts of my body.