The voices in your head, listening to them is the reason you are where and who you are today….
Starting strength training because you want to be strong? Those voices are the reason you aren’t strong now.
Starting a weight loss program? Those voices are the reason you have weight to lose.
Unskilled across all wall angles of climbing? Those voices are the reason you’re only climbing on your favourite wall.
Let me explain a little more personally. Some of your excuses may include (but are not limited too ;P)
Been a tough week, I won’t train today.
Im too tired to train today.
It’s been a long day, I will just relax this afternoon.
This is boring and I suck at it so I won’t try too hard.
It’s cold today, Im just going to wrap up and stay home.
Did some of those resonate with you? Good, I hope that creates the “motivation” to read on…. Or would it be better to be determined to read on so you can learn more about yourself.
If you are starting a new venture, whether its climbing, deliberate practice of climbing, strength training or any other area of life you are wanting to improve you are going to suck at it, you are going to have the voices in your head talking you out of it, you are not going to feel motivated for a few reasons:
You don’t know what it feels like to be on the other side of the fence.
You don’t understand what the road ahead is going to take.
You will feel insecure about yourself, like everyone is judging you.
This is why I say you need determination.
One of the simplest ways to start to build determination is to list all the reasons you no longer want to remain where you are, weak, overweight, unskilled, inexperienced, inflexible or even unmotivated….
When you start to have some wins for the new thing you are pursuing, that’s when self generating motivation starts but that won’t last either, training will get hard, you will feel like whats the point, you will feel tired beat down or even like life was so much easier before you put the effort in you have towards changing. So now what?
Back to DETERMINATION… Back to that list of reasons to change or create a new list, at least 10 reasons for you to not go back to where you came from.
You need to keep creating reasons to change, all the reasons why you are pursuing something new.
But I feel to embarrassed to do this
But I usually climb V5, V2 is too easy to practice this drill on.
But… But…. But…. But….. What?
Again, this But is the reason you have something you want to change.
Yes, you will have some voices that you are not willing to or able to ignore, this is ok, this will change over time, right now they are your core values, they are what has created you today, the trick is to listen, assess and choose to ignore the ones that are holding you back from putting in the little bit of extra effort, the ones that aren’t trying to save your life, the ones that are trying to talk you out of doing the things you need to do to progress.
Take the small wins, remember them, they will foster drive and change.
Ignoring or changing the voices that are holding you back will take practice, do 10% of the workout or 20% take that as a win.
