To be your best, you must expect the best from yourself
For anyone who has hit a plateau or feels that the return on their investment of time is lacking results, read on. Everyone wants to be stronger, faster, leaner, but just wanting it isn’t enough. If you want better results from your training, you must expect more from yourself.
Demand the best for your body. Whether you’re pedaling away in a group exercise class or grinding your bike up a hill, what do you do when the going gets tough? When your lungs start screaming and your thighs begin burning, you’ve got to get that inner voice of motivation louder. Remind yourself of the reasons you’re working so hard.
Can you go harder? Can you go longer? What limits are you placing on yourself? Are they genuine or are they just excuses? Do you want to walk away from every training session feeling like you’ve done your very best? Only you know when that is …
Remember that pain is temporary, quitting is forever. You don’t want any regrets. Think back to what your goals were when you started your fitness journey and ask yourself if you are on track? Remember that every workout counts!
Each time you stop yourself short, whether it’s one bad attitude day, one workout, one rep, or just one minute, you’re one step behind in your goal. Make every training session an opportunity for advancement and use it wisely.
Calculate what percentage of your time you’re devoting to your health and fitness. We all have 168 hours in our week to “spend.” How are you spending yours? Can you add activity somewhere? Get creative and turn off the voice of doubt; starting thinking about what you do. Why not see how far you can go on that bike, on your walk, in the pool, during class; is it really impossible or are you creating a self-fulfilled prophecy by believing that you can’t achieve?
If you already have belief in yourself and you continue to fall short of your results, persist and expect more. Consider adding a 20-minute brisk walk or a home body-weight workout three mornings a week. It will rev up your metabolism, give you some additional (and probably much needed) you time and add up to an additional four hours of exercise per month. Be honest with yourself and adopt some thinking? What have you been putting off? When are you going to do it? If not now, when? Why not see what you can become or how much you can grow now?
Enjoying your life through having the best health you can is a great reward for disciplined and consistent effort. Get more by expecting more.