Do You Limit Yourself? An important post to read for ANYONE trying to reach a goal.
What are self imposed limitations?
The physical work in the gym is easy for most people, lets face it, as difficult as a set or a rep or an exercise is, you get through it. Sure a progressive routine, one that challenges you is tough (as it should be); perhaps non-stop sprawls, push ups, swings are ‘hard’. Okay, but you get through it.
Lets face it- THE WORKOUT itself is actually not at all the most difficult part of this journey. It is the mental aspects of training that people struggle with.
The single greatest area where people seem to struggle and where they often fail is in overcoming their self-imposed limitations. Think you have reached your full potential? There is your limit right there! Anyone who believe they have reached their best is also limiting themselves. When a person sets a limit, he or she puts a limit on what is possible. When a person makes an excuse, he or she believes the excuse, lives the excuse and makes the excuse a part of them. The excuses build up, one day it’s work, the next day its family, the next day will be something else.
Now, this wouldn’t be so much of an issue if people set their limits high – but most do the opposite and set their goals, their hopes low. More so they make excuses for the goals they do set. People too often feel that they can make real changes in their body, their health, their life by ‘going hard’ Monday, fasting on Tuesday and then making excuses or ignoring their program and goals until Saturday.
Self-Imposed Limitations SUCK! and once we give into half-hearted goals; the idea that pain is okay, quitting is okay, weakness is okay, the ideal body composition is over rated, we are bound to fail. So PLEASE when training, following the KB Body program, the nutrition plan, the workouts, when setting personal goals. If you train martial arts at AMAA again, trust and follow- you have to trust your instructors and yourself. Thats what every great person did- every actor I ever worked with, every pro athlete my husband has ever trained. Think of your idols, sports stars, fighters, activists- they all had teachers, coaches and high goals and they all believed, they followed one great program and they succeeded. So, “Free Your Mind… and The Rest Will Follow!”
Limitations and Self Image
Self-imposed limitations are directly related to a person’s self image. If you believe that you are too busy for working out- you will surely not make enough time to workout. If you believe you are too out of shape to make the changes and effort to look the way you want, then surely you will never hold yourself to a program that will get you there. Our Self Limitations will make us fail by not even giving us an option, a window, an opportunity to succeed!
Even high achievers have self imposed limitations that prohibit them from going forward. Sometimes we limit ourselves by making excuses for our lack of success. They/ we will blame a lack of time, lack of equipment, or anything else they can use to explain their poor performance or state of fitness. They’ll also try to diminish another person’s accomplishments by telling themselves the successful person was lucky, or had a better program, or better genetics, or special equipment. They will tell themselves whatever they need in order to stay in the cage they’ve constructed for themselves. Do not be one of those people!!! You need to free your mind and never compare. Instead of Comparing we want you toComplete. Instead of Comparing we want you to Compete. Instead of Comparing we want you to Create.
Our goal here and now is to simply get rid of your limits!
Strategy #1: Re-Think Your Standards
The first strategy is to adjust your standards and adjust to whom you compare yourself. Don’t look to your friends and co-workers and people just like you when determining your standards. Look to people who are actually successful and great at what they do. Do not talk to your best friend about what she did at the gym, look at the girl doing chin-ups instead, ask a professional trainer, aspire to be like your favorite athlete – Why Not? Look at someone that is truly incredible and compare yourself to them, stride as high and far as they are and your path will be a better one.
Set your standards higher than your local peer group. Aim higher then everyone you know. Any too high. Be unreasonable. Be crazy. Aim beyond your own expectations! Why not?
Strategy #2: Fake It- Till You Become It!
The second strategy is to Fake it. When trying to help a person overcome his or her self-imposed limitations some form of trickery may be the best tool at your disposal. Tell yourself- I have time (even if you don’t). I HAVE energy, even if you feel tired. I have will, even if you feel like you don’t. I have strength and ability and power and I will succeed. FAKE IT till you BECOME IT! thats what all the greatest people do- join the club!
Strategy #3: You Become Who You Hang Around
Surround yourself with people who are better than you- thats a rule. Surround yourself with people who work harder and who have more dedication then you-thats a rule. Surround yourself with people who inspire you- thats a rule. Read about, follow, engage with people that inspire you. CUT the garbage, the people, shows, hobbies and book that hold you back- CUT THEM OUT. If you are always surrounded by those you are better than, there will be no motivation to improve, no reference point. You will become stagnant. You’ll set lower goals for yourself and you’ll find yourself limited. Find people who challenge you, motivate you, and help push you to become better. Condition ourself to be better! Do it daily.
Strategy #4: Set & Always Re-set Standards
Ever hear of a person say; I just beat my personal best. I just crushed my record. That is a personal goal- and it is important that you set those for yourself in every aspect of your life. Fitness included. Do not just set goal weight. Set goals for the number of push-ups you can do in one KB minute. The amount of swings, sprawls, squats. How heavy your progress in weight. How technical you get. By setting and reaching and re-adjusting your personal goals you will break free of self-imposed limitations.
BUT- do not rush!!! your first personal best goal should be great FORM and proper TECHNIQUE.
In the end
Regardless of how you overcome your limitations the key is to remember that doing so is an essential part of the process of improvement and this 60 day Kettlebell Kickboxing Body Series program, in your personal goals, in your training and in your life! And these self-imposed limitations are perhaps the thing that is truly holding you back – not actual limitations. Are you fulfilling your potential? Are you capable of more? Are you a self-limiter? Give it some thought. Chances are you could be better or do more. All of us can.
So Lets Get Started!!!!
XoKb- Dasha Libin Anderson, MS, MKC, NASM-PES, NASE, M-KBIA