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YOU ARE AN ATHLETE!

by Laura Brand

A major key to adhering to a fitness program has much to do with whether or not you see yourself as an athlete, or at least as a physically active person.  Your behavior is always consistent with your identity.  In other words, the way you see yourself will determine your actions and behavior.  Therefore, with regard to exercise adherence, the more you identify with physical activity as part of who you are, the more likely you are to adhere to activity.  To quote Zig Ziglar,  “You will never consistently perform in a manner that is inconsistent with the way you see yourself”.  This statement is so true in every area of your life; you can apply it across the board regardless of what your ambitions are.  However, since we are talking about exercise and fitness, I want to challenge you to take a good, hard look at how you see yourself.  When you look in the mirror, do you see a lazy, fat, bump-on-a-log?  If so, your behavior will follow to match that identity – you will in effect BE a lazy, fat, bump-on-a-log.  You will hesitate to put on those running shoes, because even as you tie the laces, you will be saying to yourself, "What am I thinking?  I'm no runner!  Just look at all this fat jiggling.  Oh!  Look at that... there's a cloud... it's probably going to rain.  Maybe I'll just wait until tomorrow..."  (sound familiar???)  On the other hand, if you see yourself as a healthy, fit, motivated, and productive person… guess what?  You BECOME THAT PERSON.   You will BE all of those things.  It’s your choice.  Which person do you want to be?  It's entirely up to you to decide whether you're an athlete or whether you're a lazy, fat, bump-on-a-log.  Nobody else can make that decision for you.  So, I ask you... what will it be?  That's the first step.  Make that decision.  If you decide that you ARE an athlete, that you are MOTIVATED, FIT and HEALTHY, then you must hold onto to that belief for all you're worth.  Then, when the thoughts come that try to tell you otherwise (and they will), your job is to remind yourself of the truth and combat the negative thoughts.  Even if you don't feel very athletic that day, you will choose to behave according to your new identity as an athlete.  Go for that run, even if it's raining.