Do you do any of the following?
- Look at the workout and decide you can’t do it, so you don’t come in.
- Refuse to come to a class time you haven’t been to before because you don’t know people.
- Freak yourself about walking into the gym, believing people will judge you or you’re not good enough.
- Keep the workout open-ended…you may come in, but you may have an excuse not to.
- Hold back a question during the workout briefing because you’re afraid you’ll look “stupid.”
- Tell yourself, “I’ll start tomorrow,” but tomorrow - or multiple tomorrows - come and go.
I believe the root of all of the above is negative self-talk. Negative self-talk is lies we tell ourselves and it breeds fear and squashes confidence.
Let’s see how we can flip each scenario above with positive self-talk.
- “That looks like a hard workout, but I will learn something.”
- “I may not know anyone in class, but I am excited to meet new people.”
- “Everyone starts as a beginner. We are all works in progress. I AM good enough to be here.”
- “Fitness isn’t going to happen itself. Let’s do the work!”
- “If I have a question, chances are someone else does, too. And that’s what the coaches are here for.”
- “I will start today! Nothing will hold me back.”
Realize that the more we engage in negative self-talk, the more massive the challenge feels. We are amplifying it. The first step is identifying when you are doing it. And then, you flip your inner script.
When it comes down to it, we are all just people doing movements in a gym. We all make mistakes every day. We all struggle.
I am you, and you are me.
There’s nothing to be afraid of.
