Mentality Part 1 – Positivity

There are a few things that go into a productive mindset.We have to have positiviy, we have to put in the work and we have to execute the plan. If one of those things are out of alignment then it will throw you off track. The foundation of a productive mindset is positivity. It is my opinion that without positivity you cannot achieve what you want. You wont have the desire to work hard and you wont be able to execute if you are buried in a negative mindset.

I used to be so bad when things wouldn’t go my way. It ruined relationships and ruined my desire to push for certain things. It has taken a lot of work and maturity to get to a point where I try to see the more positive things in life and to stop looking for the negative in things. There are always going to be perceived slights and times when you thought you were working hard enough but didn’t get the desired outcome. It is best to use these as learning experiences to help develop you into a better person. There is always room to grow and by being self aware and really taking an audit of a few things you can set yourself up to make gainz on your mindset.

  1. Focus on the present. If we are constantly looking back then it is hard to look forward (cliche, I know). If you had a bad workout then use that as ammo to help you get better. Don’t use it as ammo to tear yourself down. I did a competition a few years back that had heavier weights. I almost came in last place. Rather than blame the competition I used it as ammo to start a strength program and build up my power lifts. I still have a ways to go in the strength department but I don’t blame that on anyone but myself. I like metcons too much.
  2. No one owes you anything. I think this is very important to understand. You aren’t owed that invite to the wedding. If we constantly look around at things and think someone is leaving us behind then you are focusing on something that is outside of your control. This is more of a thing that happens outside of the gym but can affect your desire and mindset in the gym.
  3. Close your circle. This goes with the idea that no one owes you anything. I think that is true for 99.9% of our relationships. There are those that are in our close circle that I feel the bar should be higher for. It is callus to go through life and let people get close to you and not hold them accountable. Guard your heart, yes, but dont neglect the importance of relationships. What you should control is who you let in that circle. Are the people closest to you aligned with where you want to be? Is someone holding you back or affecting your mindset? Take an audit and adjust where needed. It may be difficult to step back from someone but it is usually necessary.
  4. Give without expectation. To me, time is the most valuable currency. You can’t get that back. So, if you are giving someone your time (or anything else you value) then do so without expectation of anything in return. Getting upset because someone didn’t invite you to the barbecue even though you helped them put the grille together is wasted energy.
  5. Tune out the noise. Social media, news, etc. It is so easy to find negativity in this world. Worry about what is in your control. You can google “CrossFit is bad” and find dozens of stories where people got hurt or didn’t get good results. You can can also google “CrossFit is good” and find stories of the opposite. Stories of people who have lost hundreds of pounds, found solace in recovery from substance abuse, regained the ability to play with their kids… It is all about what you look for. What kind of mindset do you want to have? One that thinks WWIII is tomorrow or one that thinks about back squat PR’s and muscle ups? Tune out the garbage!
  6. Eliminate self doubt. You’re doing great! It is important to keep perspective alive and well. While it is good to have goals it is equally important to not allow a failure to reach them define us. I have seen people completely forget why they started at 410 over a failure to reach a goal. Look at all of the progress you have made. Dozens of people come into the gym not able to do a 400 meter run without walking. A few months later they are running the whole thing as part of a warm up. It is easy to forget these less sexy PR’s. Don’t beat yourself up. You are indeed doing great things. Allow yourself to see them.
  7. Never engage in negative self talk. This is one of the more upsetting things I see on the regular. I wish there were an easy way to get people out of the mindset that it is ok to talk about yourself. This is more of a symptom of a void in one of the above areas. Perhaps we have a friend that constantly puts them self down in a joking way so we do the same. It is all in good fun. No one is getting hurt… right? Be your biggest fan!

Let this week be the start of a more positive mindset. Be like Dicky Fox in Jerry Maguire… “I love getting up in the morning. I clap my hands and say, “THIS is going to be a great day!”

Dicky Fox in Jerry Maguire

Coming soon…

Part 2 Hardwork

Part 3 Execution