Mindset and Goals

"Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion." -Muhammad Ali

"People always asked me why I was smiling. Other guys had a sour face or they were pissed off that they had to do another rep or another set. But I looked forward to the work. Why? Because I knew that with every rep that I did, every set that I did, with every weight that I lifted, I got one step closer to turning my vision into reality." -Arnold Schwarzenegger

Now that I've finished graduate school and my practicum, I have a little more time to focus on my goals. Sure I still have career goals to move towards, but while I was in school I sort of put nutrition and training on the back burner. I ate whatever I wanted and told myself I didn't have the energy to exercise. Well now that I have the time I want to take my goals more seriously.

There's an app called MyFitnessPal. It's pretty useful for counting calories, carbs, fats, protein, sugar etc. I really need to cut down on sugar. My nutrition goals started with having a caloric deficit to lose 10 pounds. I think that's already changed. I think I just want to eat healthier and stop eating fast food garbage. I would like to eat chicken/ steak, rice, an egg and veggies for the majority of my meals. I don't really get tired of it. High protein diets are good for gaining lean muscle and weight management. Apparently yogurt is also good, but the healthy yogurts are so tarty. My mom and I have been using a blender so I also take visalus every day or so. I also like Jym products for protein, multivitamins, etc.

So sticking to this nutrition plan is probably 80% of the battle. Nutrition and exercise goals are all about mindset. it's changing your lifestyle and habits, and making better daily choices. In fact, eventually you begin to crave only healthy foods. No one got anywhere by being lazy. Change and transformation takes visualizing who you want to be. It's easy to lose motivation after a week or so. But the key is consistency. Self-love, really is self-discipline. If you want to treat yourself with love, you'll have to take care of yourself holistically. I always say this in my blogs, but health is very holistic. Cognitive, emotional, behavioral, physical, relational, spiritual health are all related and interconnected. In order to improve ourselves holistically we have to make healthy choices in all areas of our life. I would also throw in financial health, because i really need to save money. Make smart investments, invest in yourself, invest in your future by being your best today.

Health and wellness really boils down to self-discipline. Change doesn't happen over night. You have to trust and believe in yourself. it takes self-confidence. Internal locus of control. It's about believing you can achieve your goals by putting in the hard work and dedication. It's a intentional consistency to be relentless to your priorities and healthy habits. And over a period of time, you'll grow closer to the person you want to be.

Compromise, excuses, negative self-talk, complaining, being lazy and instant gratification is easy. Anyone can do it. But look at great athletes, and musicians. What makes them great is that they're willing to put in the time and effort.Nothing stops them or can get in their way.  Fill your life with accountability, people who will encourage you, and things that will remind you of your goals. Reward yourself and celebrate your accomplishments. It's all about taking positive steps in the right direction. What are your priorities? What are your goals for today? Who do you want to be?

'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.'
Read more at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/muhammad_ali_148629