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I am afraid.

 

I am afraid of being humiliated.

I am afraid of failing.

I am afraid of looking stupid.

I am afraid of being uncomfortable.

I am afraid I can't finish.

I am afraid I'll never start.

I am afraid I'll never be good enough.

 

And so, to some extent, is every other woman who has stepped foot in a gym, or laced up their shoes to try something new.  It's all so intimidating.  But it can be overcome.

 

The first thing that helps me is to realize the fears that pop up are normal.  And they are universal.  If I can face them, they lose their power.  Like Nike says, "Just do it".

 

The second thing that works is to go my own pace.  It is so important to start where you are and do what you can do.  When I am training clients, I want to be saying two conflicting things.  The first thing I want to say is push!  Try!  Knock out a few more...you can do it!  The second thing I try to get across is don't compete with others.  Pick a level based on what you can do so it pushes you outside of your comfort zone, but doesn't injure you or make you quit.  It's a hard balance.

 

I believe that a lot of the time, our excuses are just mechanisms to hide our fear.  It's easier to say I don't have time than it is to say I am afraid I will fail.  This week, I encourage you to picture whatever barriers are standing in your way, and like a ninja warrior roundhouse kick them down to the ground and step into a new life.

 

"When people give up, I push them past old beliefs of failure into achievement.  Once they've completed the workout they thought they couldn't do, I become irrelevant & they're left with the accomplishment. That accomplishment redefines their self image and their potential.  Notice after I yell, they stop quitting and get better."  Jillian Michaels
 

Now get moving!

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