Who do you THINK you are?
Perceptions.
Self-talk.
How we see ourselves.
I’m personally fascinated by this…. mainly because it shapes our fitness journey, our relationships and ultimately our lives.
I just got back from a week in Florida aka my happy place. Spent the week enjoying some sunshine and a little downtime with my mom. One day, sitting poolside, I had a convo with another woman there. I knew her from years back and so we were catching up and chatting about all things life, kids growing up, Florida living and of course fitness/health.
She knew of course my line of work in fitness and so started to share more about her health journey. But she said something that really struck me.
As she talked about her issues with weight, dieting, food habits, etc.
She came straight out and said, “I always see myself as a fat girl”.
To which I responded, “Why is that?”.
( Not exactly a casual poolside convo)
Basically, it’s just the way she has always perceived herself to be… from a very young age.
It resonated with me…..
I kept thinking to myself… How do I see myself? Who do I think I am? And how has that self-perception shaped me over the last 53 years of life?
I’d argue that how we see ourselves absolutely influences our fitness goals and success. Simply put, if you believe you are NOT a fit/healthy/strong/ athletic/fill-in-the-blank person, your behavior, habits and actions will cement that very thought.
Almost in self-sabotage. In an effort to keep you exactly where you are… the place you are most familiar with.
Because to change your identity and your self-perception is hard and takes time.
Yet our perception of ourselves can have a significant impact on our fitness journey and goals.
Here are just a few ways:
1. Self-esteem: If we have a negative self-image, we may be less likely to believe that we can achieve our fitness goals. This can lead to feelings of low self-esteem and decreased motivation to train, make better food choices or take any action step towards a fitter lifestyle.
2. Self-efficacy: Our perception of our ability to accomplish a task, such as achieving a fitness goal, can influence our motivation to pursue that goal. If we believe we can succeed, we are more likely to work hard and stick to our plan. In other words, if you believe you can.. you’re right. If you believe you can’t… you’re also right!
3. Body image: Our perception of our physical appearance can also impact our fitness journey. Though this is a heavy one to unpack, if we have a negative body image, we may be more likely to go to extreme measures to “fix” our bodies, focus only on an external outcome and feel frustrated when changes don’t happen the way we might want them to.
4. Self-talk: The way we talk to ourselves about our fitness journey and goals can also affect our perception and motivation. Negative self-talk can lead to self-doubt and decreased motivation, while positive self-talk can help us stay focused and motivated. In other words, language is powerful… our words matter! So avoid saying things like “I can’t” unless you add in the word “YET” :)
There is no easy way…
I wish I could just give you a pat on the back, tell you how amazing you are and that you CAN accomplish your fitness goal, whatever that might be.
But my words won’t make a difference, if you believe otherwise.
How you SEE yourself
What you THINK about yourself.
How you TALK to yourself
These are the seeds we need to plant over time in order to shape our future identity.
I’ll be the first to say, I was NOT athletic nor a fitness enthusiast in my teens and my early twenties. I was the girl who hated gym class in high school cuz of the sweat factor!
Over the course of 3 decades, that has changed significantly.
I slowly began to make deposits into a new identity that revolved around fitness. The cloud of imposter syndrome wrapped in self-doubt was often present. But over TIME with a healthy dose of positive self-talk, I now see myself as a strong women capable of doing more than I thought possible years ago. The process was slow, but the rewards are great :)
And I KNOW that YOU too, can shape your identity, steer your course and come to SEE yourself for all that you are capable of and MORE!
How do you see yourself?
Has it changed over time?
Coach Lisa 💪
