3 min
Your mindset and how you talk to yourself matters.
The voice inside your head, the one that narrates your workouts, your workday, and how you handle life, literally shapes how you see the world. It influences your perception, how you interact with people, and how you feel day to day.
Most of us don’t even notice the constant stream of thoughts running through our heads. “I can’t do this.” “I’m not good enough.” “This is too hard.” Those thoughts can quietly build pathways in your brain that reinforce low self esteem, avoid discomfort, and accept limitations that don’t exist.
You can fight back, rewire your mind, change your habits, and build a stronger version of yourself that is more resilient and mentally tougher.
In my opinion, the best place to start is the gym.
When you train, you learn what it feels like to be uncomfortable.
You get out of breath, your muscles burn, your heart pounds out of your chest… these aren’t enjoyable feelings for more people.
Despite those feelings, you learn how to keep going even when you want to stop. That’s not just physical toughness; that’s mental discipline. In this blog post, I will break down how you can talk to yourself in a way that will re-shape your world view, your self-perception, and make you mentally stronger.
The things you tell yourself…
Are perceptions and self-limiting beliefs that we place on ourselves when we don’t have confidence in our own abilities.
If you tell yourself you can’t do something, you’re right. You can’t. That becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. You’ve already decided the outcome before you’ve even tried.
I hate pickleball. Mostly because I suck at it. I don’t think I’ve ever won a game. Honestly, that alone keeps me off the court. I tell myself, “I’m not good at it,” so I don’t practice, and because I don’t practice, I never get better.
But if I just kept showing up and playing more consistently, I’d improve. The same applies for being “good” at fitness or anything you haven’t tried or suck at.
I’ve seen it hundreds of times. A member starts out saying, “I can’t get my elbows up in the front squat,” or “I’ll never be able to do a pull-up.” But after years of consistent effort, showing up, putting in reps, and doing the work, they hit the exact goals they once said were impossible.
There is literally zero shortcut to hard work.
If you tell yourself “I will do a strict pull-up,” your actions start to align with that belief. You begin putting in the effort, little by little, and eventually, you get there. On the other hand, if you decide you can’t before you even try, you’ve already lost.
When you’re in the middle of a workout, your thoughts matter more than you realize. Instead of thinking about how much is left, focus on the next rep. Just one.
Tell yourself:
“Just get the next rep.”
“Hold on a little longer.”
Don’t worry about what the people around you are doing, how fast they are going, or where they are in the workout in comparison to you.
Focus on your reps, one at a time, and just flow through the exercises with your blinders on.
Your mindset determines your reality. If you keep telling yourself that you can’t, you will fulfill that prophecy.
No one said it is will be easy, but nothing worth achieving is easy. If the thing you wanted was easy, everyone would have it and it wouldn’t have any value.
Start small. Get in the gym. Challenge yourself. Learn to be uncomfortable.
Every rep you push through, every workout you finish when you didn’t feel like it, is evidence that you are stronger than you think.
Chat with a coach to learn more about what program will fit your lifestyle and your goals.
