How well do you C?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 04/12/2021 (1413 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I don’t know about you, but I always find myself in a bit of a rut this time of year.

Waking up in darkness only to come home in similar depths of darkness. Wind that burns your face. Such is life on the Canadian Prairies.

Which is why a regular fitness and self-care routine is critical to survival in these parts. So why is it difficult to stay consistent with one? That space between your ears plays the largest role, and that’s what today’s column is about.

Every decision you face creates a tug-o-war between who you are right now (Present You) and who you want to be in the future (Future You).

Present You is the irrational part that wants to live in the moment. YOLO. Burgers, beers and late nights. Forget heart disease, that’s a problem for Future You.

Future You is the mature, rational part of you that wants to do all the things it knows it should be doing, like eating better, going to the gym, getting enough sleep and embracing good-old delayed gratification.

To make matters worse, our default setting is negative. Fear and self-doubt are hard-wired in all of us. And too often we rationalize indecision or self-sabotage by saying things like, “This isn’t going to work for me,” or “I can start again on Monday,” and we stay stuck.

We must change the internal dialogue to change our actions and, ultimately, our bodies. Instead of “What if this doesn’t work?” use phrases such as, “How can I make certain this works?”

You can’t get the keys to the kingdom without first embracing the journey to get there. Our results are our responsibility. No one else’s. But often it’s how we perceive challenges along the way that define whether we succeed or not. A temporary setback isn’t permanent failure.

Negative thoughts do not support you. They will only leave you feeling more frustrated, and it’s hard to succeed at anything when you’re anxious about the outcome.

You must replace those thoughts of doubt and frustration with expectation and excitement for what’s coming.

“It’s only a matter of time”; “I’m so happy and grateful for the fit, healthy body that supports me living my best life.”

This delusional optimism is powerful when followed up with action. Even if your present situation doesn’t reflect that reality, you must live in that headspace to bring it to life.

I’ve found that one of the best ways to beat doubt and build up certainty is to think and act as though my goals have already been accomplished. It’s a small distinction with a massive impact.

Thinking and acting this way means you’re mentally putting yourself at the top of the mountain and looking back over the journey with satisfaction. You’ve already accomplished what you want.

When you write out “I’m so happy and grateful for the fit, healthy body that supports me living my best life,” you need to feel good about that being your reality or the words will fall on deaf ears.

That’s the mindset you need today. To line up with what you want, you must become the person deserving of that reality now. And trust that in due time you’ll get there.

But our expectations often don’t line up with reality and this creates a recipe for falling off. That Bill Gates quote rings true here: “Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in 10 years.”

In the end, you must run your own race. And the only person you should be comparing yourself to is the version of yourself yesterday. Are you taking small strides forward? Good. Keep going.

And the sooner you can appreciate that, the sooner you can come to peace with the fact you’re on a journey that is unique to you.

The 4C formula to fix your problems

Tying together the mindset necessary to change with the process to get there, refer to the 4C Formula by Dan Sullivan: commitment, courage, capability and confidence.

Committing means saying to yourself, “OK, I’m going to commit to doing this thing.” Not, “I’m going to try this for a month and see how it goes.”

Courage means leaning into the fear and uncertainty. You’ll have mixed emotions, especially early on, because your brain perceives change, but you must act anyway because it’s the right thing to do to move you forward.

Visualize that rickety old wooden bridge you see in movies where the lead actor must head across into the unknown. A worthwhile risk or face certain capture, so it’s a no-brainer to take the chance.

Let me share a client’s story with you. Ryan reached out when he hit his proverbial rock-bottom.

In the span of two months, his wife left him, his dad ended up in hospital with a heart attack and his business was slowly bleeding him dry. Ryan had all the excuses not to enlist a fat-loss coach. After all, our own health tends to rank pretty low on the priority list when you-know-what hits the fan.

But he also had reasons to move forward. Until he sorted out his eating and exercise habits, nothing else in his life would turn around.

Getting fit would get him confident to start dating again. Getting fit would give him the energy, drive and focus to dig his business out of the depths of debt. Getting fit would help him set an example for his dad in recovery.

Instead of focusing on the risks and all the reasons why he should wait for a “better time,” he took the leap. He transformed his life in the following months; his business improved, he lost weight, felt great and met a new woman.

Where would he be if he allowed fear to stop him from walking that bridge?

The finals 2Cs, capability and confidence, come from getting your reps in. Figuratively and literally. I hated the gym when I first started exercising. It felt like I was on display for all to see, and carrying around extra pounds just magnified that self-consciousness I felt.

But through proficiency comes belief and (eventually) enjoyment. These develop when you’ve done something repeatedly and now know what you’re doing. It becomes automatic.

You develop confidence to keep doing it, see validation for your efforts and will keep going no matter what obstacles arise. That’s when you’ve won.

And confidence leads to certainty, which is that feeling of being unstoppable.

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach. Apart from his column in the Winnipeg Free Press, he’s been featured in Men’s Health. Visit mitchcalvert.com to grab a free copy of his metabolism jumpstart or contact him directly at mitch@mitchcalvert.com.