by Jonathan Ross
1 – What are your “fitness values?”
Might sound like a silly question, but what does fitness really mean to you beyond a vague notion of “getting in shape.” What does a more capable body allow you to do? How does living in a more fit body allow you to more fully participate in your own life?
“Fitness values” is a term I created to describe what it is about being fit that you really care about. For each of us, there is something that better fitness does for us that we treasure. It might be playing with your children or grandchildren, taking up a new sport or activity, or renewing participation in a previous one. Knowing what your fitness values are keeps fitness connected to what matters most to you.
The workouts you do day-in, day-out are often not great motivators in and of themselves to stick with it over time. They are simply a means to an end (and not just a means to reduce your end). Each of us has reasons that we value fitness, and simply looking better often only scratches the surface of what they are.
Your "fitness values" are what better fitness presents you the opportunity to do and to be.
Find them, and you'll have lifelong motivation to stay fit!
2 – Are you a goal setting victim or hero?
When you watch a horror movie, you often see victims running away from the villain while looking back at the villain. And you know what happens: the victim falls down and is caught.
When you set fitness goals to avoid a negative, it makes it harder for you to find success. If you’re trying to:
- Avoid looking “ugly in your wedding dress”
- Avoid “Looking bad in your bathing suit”
- Are “tired of feeling fat in your clothes”
Your mind makes a negative connection with fitness.
Now, consider if we state the exact same goals in a different way, listen to how different they sound. What if you wanted to:
- “Look great in your wedding dress”
- “Feel confident in your bathing suit”
- “Fit into your favorite dress or pair of jeans.”
Those are essentially the same goals, but don’t they sound different in your mind when you say them?
Listen to the self-talk in your head about fitness, and carefully check your wording when setting goals.
If your efforts to get fit were made into a movie, would you want to be a victim or the hero? Set goals like a hero, and that's just what you'll be.
To be continued... check back tomorrow for the 3rd and 4th insights!
Homework
- Spend a few minutes to reflect and write down 1-2 fitness values as described above.
- Be a goal setting hero - Write out 1-3 POSITIVE fitness goals.
Post these where you will see them multiple times throughout the day - refridgerator, screeen saver etc.
Jonathan Ross is a TRX Master Trainer and the 2006 ACE Personal Trainer of the Year. Additionally he was selected as a Finalist in 2008 for IDEA's Personal Trainer of the Year and as one of Men’s Journal Magazine’s Top 100 Personal Trainers in America. His unique personal experiences – having 800 pounds of parents – help him create exercise strategies that deliver big results for his clients and make him a sought after fitness expert by the media.
