We all have self-doubt. It’s in our nature and it happens to the best of us. but it’s how you react that can be the game changer.
I am no different. Now on most days I see myself as super strong, fit, and totally love the way I feel. Today, however, I met my negative alter ego at the gym and her name is Mrs. Negative. She seems to be showing her face a bit more than usual in the past few days.
This is how my morning with my alter ego went…
I walked into the gym with a not so happy face on, but I put on my big girl socks and went to work. Since I was training alone, I took a video of a squat set to check my form.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=2s07MhVw1MU
These are the things that came to my mind first:
Not low enough
Too slow
I SHOULD add more weight….shoulda, coulda, woulda….
There wasn’t ONE positive thought! I was being so nasty to myself, to the ONE person in the WHOLE world that I should love the MOST! It was so yucky so I decided to pull a fast one on Mrs. Negative. I told myself to find the positive and watch it again. I replayed my video and here is what came to mind:
Great big breath when loading the weight and before each rep! (I have been working on that!)
Good job pushing out on the feet
Weight was controlled the whole time
I met depth, next time try for a bit deeper
You came in feeling yucky and you squatted 135 five times! GO YOU!
The truth is I just got back to back squatting. I took over two months off after small pains in my lower back and shoulders. My motivation to correct my form and push myself really hit rock bottom. I feel like I started from scratch again, focusing on form and technique before adding weight. I haven’t moved 135 pounds in close to 6 months maybe more. So the fact that I hit this set with good form and had a little gas left in the tank is AMAZING!!
THAT is where my mind needed to be!!
Are there things that I still need to work on ABSOLUTLY, but it wont happen if all I focus on is my faults! Instead I try to focus on getting 1% better every time I step into the gym.
We all get down in the dumps and are hard on ourselves. Yet, it is harder to recognize when our negative alter ego is showing their face, but I was able to recognize Mrs. Negative and tell her to hit the road. You may also have an alter-ego like this. You can call her/him Negative Nancy, Grumpy Gus, Poopy Paul, Sassy Sally…
But whatever you call your negative alter ego, really try to recognize when that side of you shows up and work on looking at things in a more positive light!
CHEERS TO LOVIN’ YOURSELF!
<3 Lindsay