I had my assessment at Strength for Life December 2016, and I've been coming here regularly for my weekly one-on-one training and for 1 to 2 classes a week ever since.  I was 58 at the time (now 59-1/2), and I asked myself:  "Where the heck did my forties and fifties go???"  I was always a physically strong person, but never did strength training.  I tried to do my walking every week, my on-again/off-again yoga, my gardening in the spring and summer, but I could see my body changing (not in a good way) and the aches and pains of aging already making an appearance.   I had never been into sports as a kid, and I was not a consistent exerciser as an adult.  To make matters worse, I've had a desk job my entire life.  Here I was, about to launch into my sixties, then my seventies, then my eighties......it was a scary realization.   

“I know I will succeed and I know it will be hard.”

“I know I will succeed and I know it will be hard.”

“I know I will succeed and I know it will be hard.”

 This is the mantra of successful people. Challenging goals are by definition challenging. Understanding that achieving challenging goals will be hard gives you a leg up on the competition. If you know the road ahead will be difficult, you are more likely to plan for the obstacles in your path.

To stay motivated, successful people use two strategies.

First, they think in positive terms of how it will be and feel when they have achieved their goal.

Second, they think in realistic terms about what it will take to reach their goal.

This is called mental contrasting. Start by imagining something positive that will come from reaching your goal, then anticipate an obstacle that could stand in your way. Repeat this process several times to bring into focus exactly what you will need to do to achieve your goals. Mental contrasting can provide motivation, commitment, and clarity as well as giving you a better sense of your chances of reaching any goal.

For example, if my goal was to climb the rope at the gym, I could use mental contrasting to keep me motivated and committed.

Climbing the rope would make me feel like I accomplished something I never thought possible. 

I will need to have enough strength in my arms and legs to pull my body up the rope.

Climbing the rope would make me feel strong.

I will need to have enough abdominal strength to pull my knees high to propel me up the rope.

Climbing the rope would boost my confidence and give me the courage to try other physical challenges.

I will need to overcome my fear of heights by climbing the rope in stages over time.

The next time you are working on a challenging goal, try mental contrasting to increase your motivation and commitment and plan for the inevitable challenges that will come your way.