Coach Lucy PhD

If you do not want to read this overlong text here are the merits:

“Proper management of failures and distance to yourself is what may lead us to lifestyle success and a rewarding life.”

Working with my regular students, which are called by “wise health training professional books” – the general population (Meaning all of us who try to build the economy and retain independence, while working a lot and at the same trying to find time for family and maintaining good health and physique) – I have realized that often they are looking for some kind of miracle or they believe that they have to be tough to change anything and if they fail once it means it is not for them.

Relying on professional experience I would love to share my thoughts with you.

Quite often in my practice I can see that new students look at me (or probably any other fitness professional) as if I could do magic tricks which will lead them to their goals.

Something like – if you do this squat singing that song or you do this lunge on the blue step instead of green one you will progress so much more.

First of all! Thank you all my students for this level of trust. I really appreciate it!

However the truth lies somewhere else.

There is no magic trick although there is a deep multidisciplinary scientific knowledge behind “the exercises” which adepts are accomplishing during each session.

These exercises were chosen and defined with proper order, tempo, breathing pattern, load, tension, volume, focus etc, designed to reach each session’s target and step by step to reach your big goals. No matter what this big goal is – rehabilitation, health, shape or beach body.

But beyond “the exercises” there is your everyday life. Your habits, rational decisions, awareness, strong will and mistakes  – and this last one this is what may bring you the real success in pursuit of your goal.

It is all about your approach to everyday small mistakes and your mind set up – sometimes a little bit confused by media information and pop-culture slogans garbage.

“You do not have to be great to start but you have start to be great.”

That’s true but it is not about starting and capturing anything. You have started your journey when you were born and each experience is building your personality.

So if you decide to loose weight you do not start today. You continue the journey with new ideas, new goals, and everything you have experienced before. All the habits you have created before will impact your new goal. It is neither good nor bad.

Obviously some of us will start with a better background than others but it does not matter. What is important that you already know the person you are going to cooperate to reach the goal. You know what kind of food you like and do not and what’s acceptable to change, and finally if the change is worth the sacrifice for you. A different value lies in each goal for us.

You know yourself, your lifestyle, your schedule, your responsibilities and your motivation level. Most importantly, you are at your own side every day minute by minute, and this is the biggest value.

You know why? Because there is no such a thing like a mistake and a failure. If you ate too much of this cheesecake today you exactly know why you did this (usually lack of self-control), what your mood was and how you were feeling after eating this (I am talking this time more about being full in your stomach and sleepy than emotional discouragement).

After the incident you can analyze it step by step (shortly, just in your head) to avoid the same situation next time and react in the proper moment.

We are human beings only with all our advantages and disadvantages and it is somehow cute. Instead of telling to yourself that you have failed – this time see this situation from a different angle.

Use the opportunity that you are living inside your body and mind and you know yourself better than anyone else in the world. Being the closest person to yourself, you can recognize lifestyle danger (unhealthy food let’s say) quickly because you have already been there. So it is not a failure to eat something unhealthy. This is the installation of new application/software/antivirus program for each next unwanted meal or behavior. There is one rule only – you have to keep this application switched on. Awareness, consciousness, critical thinking, abstract thinking and self-control over our (anti) nutritional desires may be what define us as people.

And even if you fail hundreds of times stand up and try again. It is not your one hundred first failure. It is your one hundred and first step. Finally you win. Think about it as a journey. And if you do not like this idea just change your habits at once and start new lifestyle right now today. Whatever works for you. There is no wrong way.  Just get what you want and enjoy your life more. Yes you can do it. This is not just for the strongest, most-disciplined and dedicated ones. It is for all of us – mortals.

Keeping this philosophical reasoning short – discipline, observation, self-awareness and positive attitude this is what leads us to success and happy life. Do not torture yourself. Appreciate that you have all these human features that let you have a choice and achieve goals. Think about it – plants cannot enjoy abstract thinking, self- awareness and discipline (probably). It means you are lucky. Be in charge of yourself. On the other way plants do not have compulsive eating disorders or hangovers, whereas people do, but let’s do not touch this matter today..

Appreciate what you have today. Don’t take anything for granted. Earn your success.

Take advantage of your strengths – whatever they are.

Coach Lucy, PhD

Editing: Aleksandra Ważna