Working with a group and an expert can help you with fear.
“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do. ” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
It’s getting close to Halloween, an entire day based on those things that we fear and that scare us.
Fear isn’t a bad thing. It keeps us alive, and helps us make decisions that can save our lives.
Unfortunately the feelings of fear and it’s partner worry can harm you in excess.
Unchecked fear and worry keep you from living the life you truly want to live.
I can’t tell you the number of people that have told me that their fear of the unknown with our programs kept them from getting started on a workout program for the longest time.
At least once a week I’ll hear a new client say…
“I’m out of shape and overweight I don’t know if I can do this.
“I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up”
“I worry I won’t be able to stick with the diet”
“What if I’m the fattest, slowest person in the room?”
“What if I just can’t do it?”
And the list just goes on and on.
And I can understand how scary and uncomfortable it can be to try something new.
(I’ll save my story of crawling out of a Bikram Hot Yoga class on my hands and knees for another day. But believe me I’ve been scarred and uncomfortable right there with you.)
But here’s the thing I’ve come to understand about the fear and worry.
It’s all in your head…
None of these things really exist.
Just like the childhood fears we had as kids.(I personally hated the flying monkeys in the Wizard of OZ”)
These things ONLY Exist in our imaginations.
When I speak to a new group of boot campers, I know they’re nervous so I always let them know… “If you’re out of shape and overweight, you’re PERFECT for this program. Because the ENTIRE POINT is to take you from overweight and out of shape to lean and fit in a short amount of time.”
So lets talk about getting some courage.
Courage isn’t about denying that fear exists.
Courage is being fully aware that the fear is there and doing it anyway.
So here are 3 Tips I’ve used to manage my own fears and the fear my clients experience.
1. DO a Worst Case Scenario-
Run through your head what the worstcase scenario is. If I can deal with that, I’m good to go.
2. Work with a Group-
Yes, joining the group may itself be the scariest thing, but you can roll back to point one for that.
There are reasons. There’s safety in numbers, someone to watch your back, and you can work harder with a group than you will on your own.
It’s like swimming with the current in a river-much easier once you get in.
3. Find an Expert-
You’d never climb a mountain without a guide, or a coach. Working with an expert allows you to use his or her years of knowledge, practice and experience.
Working with an expert can also help you avoid the REAL dangers and get to your goal more quickly.
So during the week we celebrate getting scared on purpose, I encourage you to do one thing that scares you.
Don’t let fear hold you back from your best life.
Talk soon.
Dave