“But man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated.” – Ernest Hemmingway
This is something we all think about from time to time. There’s that little part of your brain that asks you, “What if I screw up? If I do this wrong, what will people think?” Inevitably, we are all afraid of failure in any facet of our lives.
For me, it has always been in a social setting, not necessarily in the gym (in fact, that’s probably where I feel the most confident). I’ve been the guy to think out things (sometimes overthink them) before making a decision. All this allowed for was time for that little bit of doubt and fear to take over. It’s a strong little bastard if you allow it to be.
For some of you, it might be that you psych yourself out of going to the gym on the drive home from work. Sure, it starts at 2:30, when you say to yourself “I’m totally going to do chest and back today!” By 4:00? “Ok, I’ll at least do chest. These reports are draining me.”
By 5:00, when you’re in your car driving home? “Well…maybe I should take the day off and get some sleep. I haven’t eaten dinner yet and I need to catch up on Sportscenter. Besides, the gym isn’t going anywhere, right?”
Well, in a literal sense, you’re right. However, you couldn’t be any more wrong. You’ve allowed that part of your mind to take over. The only way to counteract that is to have a continual level of swagger through your day. That mentality of “I’m gonna be awesome in everything I do,” will remove doubt and keep you motivated not only to work out, but to work hard at everything in your life!
And if you do screw up? If you’re afraid of how you look doing something? I have two words for you: fuck it. Yes, this is the first time I’ve ever dropped an “f-bomb” on TheNerdyGymRat, but it’s appropriate in this post. If I allowed other people’s thoughts (which I don’t even REALLY know anyways) to control what it is I did, I’d be trapped in a bubble that moved from the gym to work and back home seven nights a week. No human contact whatsoever!
If you worry about how you look NOW (as opposed to how you’ll feel immediately after a workout or how you’re going to look in the long run) because you’re afraid of what people think, you’re already fighting a losing battle. That’s what “Motivational Mondays” are all about. Getting you to a point, mentally, to walk with that head held high, even if you trip and fall.
Now get out there and take control! It’s a new week and the beginning of a new you. Hit the “reset” button and do the damn thing!
Jonathan
(P.S. – Enjoy the playlist! Foxy Shazaam is my new favorite find and this song is beyond addictive.)
The Nerdy Gym Rat 