Get one under your belt

Exercise is the equivalent of a mind calming drug I can’t afford to miss a dose of, so for me, the earlier in the day the better. That said, I believe biorhythms and other individual variants determine each person’s optimal time frame for peak performance. That’s why paying attention to what your body is telling and showing you will allow you to come to a more accurate conclusion as to what your ideal workout time may be than any blanket scientific study or person could. So if you’re not an a.m. person, don’t get hung up on the specifics of actual time here. The gist of the message applies to all, and that is this: Get one under your belt and every subsequent one will come easier. What do I mean by one?  “One” is each personal challenge you face. Throughout your day, challenges in varying degrees of difficulty will be scattered along your path; the kick-ass workout you felt was beyond your abilities, a difficult co-worker, a dissatisfied client, an angry clerk, a parenting heartache, etc… mountains by any name. But if you have already scaled a mountain and taken note of each as you go, there is a knowing deep inside you that you have everything you need to scale these as well, and you are able to move boldly forward in this belief. This was a method I shared with a former client while putting her through a particularly intense burst running session that she didn’t believe she could endure, though she absolutely could and DID. Later, while basking in the afterglow of her post-workout high, I told her that she would be facing something later that day and her first inclination would be to avoid it. “But when that happens”, I told her, “I want you to remember this moment and let it fuel you to do that thing you want to run from.” Sure enough, as she would tell me later, something came up. It wasn’t anything major- just a parking challenge of some sort- nevertheless, it was something she wouldn’t have attempted ordinarily. But on this day, with one already under her belt she was bent on being fearless. So she faced the challenge and she triumphed. Now she had two under her belt and was unstoppable!

Getting one under your belt is simply pushing yourself slightly further than what comes comfortably to you. It may mean turning the shower to cold for a minute just to show yourself you can become uncomfortable without it killing you. Or going that extra 1/4 mile when you’re sure you’ve only got an 1/8 of a mile left in you. Or donating the money as was laid on your heart though it was your last $20. Or risking and/or experiencing rejection to move forward in an area you feel you’ve been led which seems illogical to other people. It means continuing with something you may not be particularly “good” at instead of quitting before you see improvement. It will be individual to you, so I can’t foresee exactly what may present itself, but if you listen and ask for guidance you will be led to situations and circumstances that beckon you to jump in. Whether it’s a niggling sense of something or a brick to the head, don’t brush this guidance off- pay attention to it! Getting one under your belt simply means going balls to the wall and putting yourself out there. It means waking up, facing your fear of the unknown and often uncomfortable, and becoming alive in your life. Because really, what’s the point in being here otherwise?