Mindset Over Everything
You have probably heard a runner say that the miles you run is not the difficult part – it’s having a good mindset that is the most difficult part. Your mindset can make or break your run, or any work out for that matter. It can make you feel like your three mile run was either a breeze or excruciating, altering your outlook and mindset the key to motivation and the quality of your experience
How Can Mindset Influence Your Overall Wellness?
It is often said that your mind is your strongest muscle, meaning you will believe what you tell yourself. If we tell ourselves that we are not able to do something – then that will likely become true over time because of our mental strength.
Mindset over everything.
If you do not have the right mindset – accomplishing your goals will be near impossible. Your mindset is not just an important factor when running but in your entire health, wellness and fitness journey.
In my opinion, the most important time to acknowledge your mindset is through change. So many individuals are single tracked when it comes to working out and fitness goals. This is something that allows us to keep the main event our main focus. If you have spent years training for half marathons and races – you likely will have a questionable mindset when you want to switch to strength training.
(ADD MORE ABOVE, NEW HEADER FOR BELOW)
As a trainer myself, I had a very difficult time with this exact process. I ran races for years – and when I began to switch to more strength based training and less endurance based training, my mindset was questionable. I questioned everything. Did I really want to give up running? Did I really want to throw out all my hard earned milage? Would I ever be able to run again?
Eventually, I found my way again. I found a way to strength train and not feel guilty about my pausing running hobby. The switch with this came from my mindset going from feeling guilty to my mindset feeling grateful.
Grateful that I have the ability to switch up my fitness routine. Grateful that I had the ability to build up my running strength and training in the first place. Grateful that I have the ability to build up muscles that are not frequently used in running. Making this switch is not an easy one but what is important is acknowledging that our bodies are ever-changing. We must meet our bodies and our minds where they are at that moment.
I could have forced myself to continue my running hobby, forcing my milage to increase, forcing myself to sign up for another race. I chose to not be forceful and pause my running hobby on a high note. I chose to pause my running hobby wanting more – opposed to pausing it on a negative note.
NEW HEADER BELOW (maybe—challenging your identity mindset)
My mindset during this transition was – interesting. I spent many times feeling like I was walking away from something I loved at one point, yet that something began to feel more like a chore and less like a love. Why was I essentially forcing myself to do something? Why was I pushing myself through this workout? At one point I would count down the hours until I could run again and now it felt like I was counting down the hours until my next rest day. I was in the mindset that I was a runner and that I will always be a runner.
My running did not necessarily come to an end – I just decided to have a healthier relationship and mindset with my running hobby. I decided I would find my new exercise love – and while it may have been running for years, it’s not for me during my current season of life.
I decided my mindset towards my exercise and fitness needed to change. I needed to find what I loved again and needed to make it feel less like a chore and more like a love again. This realization came through my mindset. Having a mindset of forcing yourself to do something because it’s comfortable and what you know. Your mindset is key to everything. If you do not have a positive mindset – you will not see the results you want. You may see the results in your body, however you will begin to notice other areas of your life that are being impacted by this mindset.
At the end of the day – remember, mindset over everything.
