So this weekend I've been visiting with family, which means I've had to do a lot of reporting on my recent activities. Mostly I've been talking about my job and all the writing I've done as a result, but I also like to throw in there that I do BodyCombat, BodyPump, and Step classes every morning. I'm glad that I can honestly say that I'm doing something active and fun on a daily basis.
But I think that comes as a surprise to most people, and it kind of surprises me that I've found so much enjoyment in hard workouts. There are times when I go to the class and I'm surrounded by in-shape, well-dressed, peppy women, and for a moment or two I feel self-conscious because I'm inflexible, slower, and just wearing baggy sweats.
I've found a way, though, to get through those workouts without feeling self-conscious or giving up when I get tired. It all has to do with where I stand on the gym floor.
See, the room is rectangular, with floor-to-ceiling mirrors on the left and front sides. A lot of women like to stand right in front of the mirrors. In fact, most choose that left-front corner where they can see themselves from all angles, pretty much.
Not me.
In the front middle is the platform where our instructors stand. There are no mirrors behind them. So I stand directly in front of them, mirroring their movements.
What this does for me is give me the illusion that I'm looking at myself in the mirror, when really I'm watching this powerful, smiling, super-buff instructor go through the moves. So I punch as hard as I can, jump as high as I can, and endure as long as I can, because that's what I see the woman in front of me doing.
I know that this is what makes the difference, because one day, we got there kind of late and had to find a workout space in the corner, right in front of the mirror wall. All during the workout, all I could think was, "Dang, my hips are wide. Holy cow, I'm so inflexible. I look so stupid. What am I even trying to do here?"
When I see myself in the mirror, I just think about my present state of being, and I get discouraged.
But when I look at the instructor and see what I could be, I endure without any doubts of what I'm capable of.
So I was just thinking about that and realizing that self-perception has a strong psychological effect on what we achieve in our lives. If we only focus on the past or on our current weaknesses, we're only going to compare ourselves to others and see how much we fall short. But when we look forward to the future and see what we can be after hard work and determination, we focus on our goals and find the strength we need to accomplish them.
That's just what I've found in my own experience, anyway. Maybe you have some other way of motivating yourself. The moral of the story is just to look forward with faith and never give up on what achievements will make you feel happier with yourself--physically, spiritually, or otherwise.
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