Before reading this article I would like you to take a moment to reflect on why you have decided to make a change.

Now, I have no shame in admitting, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be speaking for myself when I say; I want to look “better”. I want to be stronger, faster, fitter and more than anything else, more “attractive”. It was, and has been my waking desire to improve my body composition. Hours and hours of training and dieting, all to go back to the mirror disappointed in myself. I spent every waking minute of each and every day feeling down because I wasn’t what I wanted to be. Every day asking the same question, “why can’t you do it?” It never occurred to me that, I didn’t know what “it” was. I had no idea of where I was meant to be going and what I was meant to be looking like. I had completely neglected all of the positive things that had come about due to my hard work, and focused only on the fact that I hadn’t yet achieved “it”.
Now I’ll admit, I have big plans for myself and will continue to dedicate my time towards my fitness journey and body composition goals. BUT I will never neglect the positive changes I make along the way again. Beyond all the physical improvements I’ve made, the biggest and best have been the mental changes. I am a happier, healthier me. Day to day, I have more energy, my body functions well and the immense amount of stress I use to feel is relieved. Now that I look back on my time, these mental changes have probably been the defining factors in my life.

It’s Time for You to Do the Same

You will hear all of the trainers including myself talk about this time and time again. I’m sure more often than not you think we are on repeat, but, GOALS, GOALS, GOALS! I cannot stress the importance of setting achievable goals enough. If you have ever sat down with a Red-E Personal Trainer, you will have heard us talk about “mental & behavioural” goals. These are, in my opinion, two of the biggest and most important factors, not just in relation to training, but to life. Without recognising that your mental attitude is/needs changing, you will stay in a stagnant state.
While these changes are brought on in this circumstance by the processes involved with altering your body composition, they are not solely reliant upon that alteration.
While I do not want to take the shine away from improving your body composition, I want to make sure that you are aware that the correlation between “healthy mind, healthy body” is paramount.
So, why are goals of such importance?
Simple, it comes back to recognition. In our field, achievable goals are the best and most accessible platform. It’s about using a platform to better view the changes that are occurring within your mind and body. Having an achievable goal set within proper perimeters is of huge benefits as it allows not just your trainers but yourself to see the small changes you are making. Recognition and accumulation of these small changes leads to development of mental permanence. This mental permanence is what pilots us into making changes to our physical matter.

I will end this as simply and briefly as I can. Self belief goes a very long way. We cannot begin to love others until we can accept ourselves for who we are.  You need to be accepting of the fact that your body may need to change. You need to be however more accepting of the fact that this journey is one of great mental indulgence, and that you have been presented with an opportunity to enhance everything great about yourself. Be proud of whom you are and the ability you have been graced with to be able to improve that on a daily basis. No matter background, belief or ability, we are all amazing feats and you should embellish that at every opportunity.

By Lou Royal © 2013