How to Be Brave - In Your Workouts
“It’s in showing up every day and focusing on one rep at a time (rather than worrying about the whole workout) where strength is forged.”
-Rebecca Boskovic
We know we want them … the results of exercise.
We know we need it … the health from exercise.
Yet, somehow we can’t make ourselves do it … the showing up part of exercise.
If this describes you, I can relate. It wasn’t too long ago when I stood in your shoes.
All I need to do is think back to the first time I stepped into a CrossFit box, and the rush of how nervous I felt comes back to me. I’d been doing the traditional gym thing for so long, that showing up to the gym was no longer scary to me. But in this new environment, with new people, and new equipment, it was intimidating to say the least.
It certainly would have been easier to stick with what I knew: the front desk check-in, the familiar smells of the chlorine from the pool, and the friendly hellos in the locker room.
But here was the problem - I was no longer motivated to show up at the gym. It had gotten tougher and tougher to show up, and I was finding more and more excuses to not.
In this new environment, I could see that it was different.
the owners cared
the members encouraged one another
there was an energy of excitement
Although it was different and intimidating, there was an irresistible level of positivity.
And this is where how to be brave begins.
Under the footing of any brave person, is a solid rock that she can stand on. The idea that bravery is a solitary, solo act of strength is a myth. Show me any brave person, and no matter how much hardship they’ve overcome, somewhere at some time, they had someone in their life who acted as a rock.
So, how do I become brave enough to show up for my workouts?
How do I act bravely where all I’ve known is failure?
The answer resides in these three steps:
Find a program that makes you feel good. Do your research and check it against your gut. Ask yourself if this program will support YOU where you are today, rather than telling you who you should already have become. How can we learn to be brave in an environment that makes us feel bad about ourselves? If you’re used to feeling bad about yourself, maybe you’ll show up for a while, but eventually your healthy ego is going to step up and say “ummm, why are you here? They don’t even know your name, and never say ‘hi’.” Follow the compass of kindness to choose a program for you. This is critical to your success.
Within that supportive environment you are going to allow for some discomfort and take the steps anyway. Keep in mind, we’re not talking about acute physical pain or social humiliation. Instead, you are going to show up knowing that most people should welcome you (because you’ve done the research from step 1), though others might be having a tough day and not smile. You’re also going to show up with a growth mindset … that says it’s ok if you don’t have all the answers, that your bravery and fitness are being forged in learning what does work for you. Yet simply acknowledging the possibility of discomfort helps us learn how to be brave.
Commit to the program you’ve chosen. You’ve already done the research. Now you need to give it a chance. Commit for at least 3 months. If it provides the support and motivation to get you to show up more days than not, you should stick with it. The number one reason people fail to achieve their fitness goals is that they fail to commit. You are going to commit to your choice … and then you are going to build consistency through that commitment.
How to be brave in your workouts is all about being more fully yourself rather than trying to wear someone else’s armor. We already have all the protection we need … if we only just use it. That protection begins by starting with what works for us.
If you need a program that helps you be brave in your workouts by creating a welcoming and supportive environment for you to succeed, Book a Free Call Today. Bravery is a habit that can be developed. It is my purpose in life to help every woman who comes to me to develop the bravery to like the person she sees in the mirror. This starts in helping her show up for herself.
-Coach Rebecca
“Embrace your courage, because, if you’ve come this far, you’re more courageous than you think."
-Rebecca Boskovic