Say Goodbye To Your Comfort Zone

I am just beginning prepping for my second men’s physique show that will be in the beginning of July. If you aren’t familiar what men’s physique is, it’s pretty much male (and female in their own division) athletes getting down to esoteric level of body fats (usually 5% or less for men) and stepping on a stage under a spot light in front of a large crowd to have every aspect of your body judged, criticized, and scrutinized.  Fun, right?

Since the age of eighteen I wanted to do this. I have always lifted weights and been passionate about progressing my own physique but I never could find the courage to step on a stage. To be honest, it scared the living crap out of me to conceptualize myself on a stage being judged. I told myself I was too busy in college, and then again when I started my new career at Life Time. I told myself the summer was too hard to diet for a show, and the same thing in the fall, and the winter, and any day of the week that ended in a  Y. I convinced myself my genetics weren’t good enough to do a show so I talked myself out of it for years.

Until one day I realized something…

I was a hypocrite.

Here I was preaching to my clients about negative self talk and how their biggest barrier is the thoughts that occupy their mind, and I was a victim of the very same thing! I was definitely in my comfort zone. I was afraid of being compared to others and facing my fears and self-doubt. So, I burned the boats and hired Paul Revelia as my coach and began a prep with around 10 weeks time. It was definitely shorter than recommended (this time I am taking 20 weeks) but regardless I accomplished the goal and stepped on that stage.

Now that was a legit tan……

Now I am getting ready to do it all again. This post is not intended for me to drone on about my goals but instead I have four valuable lessons from this experience that can add value into your life.

1. Your fears are not your reality – We tip toe through life to safely arrive at death. Think about that for a second.  Our whole life we have these dreams and desires we want to achieve but are so afraid of putting ourselves out there that we talk ourselves out of what we truly want. One thing that is promised in life is death. If we embrace that fact, and know that time, our most precious resource is finite, then why are we spending the time we do have avoiding the things our hearts truly desire?
2. Growth comes from doing what your afraid of – I grew so much as a person and as a coach from doing that show. Every day things like cold-calling a prospective client was no big deal anymore after standing on a stage and being judged on my flaws. Also, I could now relate on a whole different level to my clients. I was now in a the role of a client to a coach. I understood for the first time what it really meant to be accountable to someone and what it was like to work with someone to set and achieve goals. The whole process made me a better coach in the long run.
3. Hire a coach – Yes, I’m an RD and PT and I have the knowledge to get myself as lean as I wan’t to be. However, I lack the one key thing that is essential for results. Accountability. Paul is a really smart guy, but more importantly he keeps me accountable. I know 99% of people reading this never have aspirations to step on a stage. The fact remains that whatever health, fitness, or personal goal you are reaching for that is outside your comfort zone you highly increase your chances of getting there by hiring a coach. Accountability is key and we do a lousy job at it on our own.
4.  Attack your fears – Will Smith said at a young age he got in the habit of attacking what he was afraid of. We all have things that make us uncomfortable but we can overcome them by taking them head on. For me it was getting on stage and I saw the new found confidence translate in all other areas of my life. What’s your biggest fear? How can you attack it for personal growth? What have you always wanted to do but you keep talking yourself out of?

Find your fear attack it head on. You will be surprised to find that you are capable of much more than you ever imagined.

Thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read my thoughts. My next blog post will be a follow up from this one on what to look for in a coach! Subscribe to get the notifications of when it post!