How to Take control of your life

Staying motivated for your personal goals can be disappointing when you compare yourself to others. This is a struggle that most people feel because quite honestly there is always going to be someone better than us at something. When it comes to body image specifically this can be extremely toxic.

For years when I competed in bodybuilding I would get disappointed when I would lose a show  because I did not receive the placing I felt I deserved or wanted, this lead to less motivation and some bull shit form of depression. In reality I was improving every year and If I had not focused on some stupid placing I would have made further progress over the last 10 years.

When you are starting on your fitness journey this can be an easy trap to fall into, learning how to train your mind is extremely important when learning how to push forward regardless of your surroundings. In this article I’m going to give you some tips on how to stay motivated and how to avoid falling into the trap of comparing yourself to others.

Stay Humble

Removing yourself from an ego mindset is extremely important. There will always be someone better than you at something and lifting weights and looking “perfect” is no different. Once you accept this , and learn to remove “envy” or “jealousy” out of the equation you’ll be much better off. It’s not about anyone else on your fitness journey is about your story and your heroes quest.

Stop Comparing yourself to social Media Influencers

People on social media make their lives look much more attractive than it actually is. They control the content so they control the perceived reality they have allowed you to look into. Taking photos of yourself and sharing your accomplishments is fine and can be a great motivational tool for yourself, but it starts and ends at that. Progress phots should be for yourself and no one else. Taking monthly progress photos is great because you can compare yourself month by month, sometimes we don’t see our daily progress because we get used to it, but looking at these photos side by side can be a great way to keep yourself motivated.

Surround yourself with positive people

You become who you surround yourself with. Your perception of reality relies on your daily interactions. It’s easy to surround yourself around unmotivated and negative people. As you progress you’ll want to surround yourself with people who are better than you at particular things to motivate you. You’ll be able to help those around you with your new knowledge and skills you are building in the gym and in life. I’ll give you an example, I am the king of shitty relationships. I’ve had about 3-4 extremely toxic relationships that weighed me down. It wasn’t until recently I became extremely selective on my friends and personal relationships, that I truly was able to become happy and progressing at a consistent pace. This has lead to less stress and a clearer mindset. When the universe throws a curveball at you, you’ll be much more prepared and ready to take on the new challenge.

Every obstacle is actually an opportunity

When I stopped looking at “problems” as a negative encounter and started perceiving them as an opportunity to learn I started sharpening my skill sets. We naturally tend to have a victim mentality, learning to overcome this weak mindset is important. Turning “why me” into “try me” can turn your life around. As you become more versed in conquering problems you will become more skilled at daily challenges and life becomes easier.

Conclusion

Your fitness journey is going to be difficult, it’s supposed to be difficult. There is no easy way to become healthy and fit. In fact its much easer to be lazy and make excuses. Learn to focus on yourself, surround yourself with people who love you and build you up, not those who tear you down. It all starts with your mindset to become the hero of your own book you are writing each and every single day. Climb your fucking mountain and become the best version of yourself possible.