I spent most of last week in sunny San Diego at a fitness convention soaking up new knowledge so I can better serve my clients and blog readers. It was my fourth year at the conference, and something was a little different this year, in a positive way. I noticed a definite shift in the messages behind the presentations. The official convention theme was 'Be Epic,' but it seemed that mindset mastery was an unintended overarching theme. The presenters, from bloggers to studio owners to celebrity fitness trainers, were speaking about authenticity, resiliency, and mindset.

I am thrilled to see that the fitness industry seems to be making a shift (even if a small one) from perfect abs and sweaty bodies to empathy, connection, and storytelling. Fitness is attainable for everyone, but as long as our industry is pushing images of sweaty perfection, many people will struggle to see themselves in that picture and will never have the courage even to begin.

It starts with people like me. It's essential that I, as a trainer and blogger, am sending the positive, healthy mindset messages to my clients and readers. Trainers aren't perfect either. We make mistakes. We're human too. Shocking, I know, but not really.

Fitness is not about looking like a fitness model (even the models don't look like that all the time) or pushing ourselves to the extremes at every workout; it's about fitting nutrient-dense foods and daily movement into our busy lives. Your properly programmed fitness plan will crash against the shores of reality. It has to fit into your real life, or it won't ever be sustainable. You either need to change your lifestyle (to the extent that's possible), or you need to change your expectations.

If we forget about hard-bodies and focus on our minds first, we can make the shift that leads to healthier happier lives.

SHIFT HAPPENS: 3 SHIFTS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS

1. SHIFT WHAT YOU THINK

Believing in what is possible is the first step in achieving your goals. Your expectations drive your actions. If you can envision it, you can work towards obtaining it. Train your mind first, then work on training your body. 

If you don't believe your goals are possible, you will have conflicting priorities, which can sabotage your end results. Believe in yourself first.

2. SHIFT WHAT YOU SEE

Two separate presenters at the convention gave this same demonstration, and I found it impactful.

OPPORTUNITYISNOWHERE

What do you see? 

Opportunity is nowhere

or

Opportunity is now here

When your mindset is present and grateful, you are better able to overcome hardships and see the opportunity around you. What do you see in the situation? 

When I am running, and it feels hard, I go through a gratitude checklist in my mind. Thank you for my healthy heart, thank you for my two strong legs, thank you for my lungs breathing heavily, thank you for the physical ability to exercise and the mental strength and motivation to get off the couch in the first place. 

Remembering to be grateful, even when it sucks, can help shift your focus on achieving rather than complaining. I can choose to focus on the difficulty, or I can look for the positives in challenging situations.

3. SHIFT WHAT YOU DO

I am a big believer in a positive mindset, but it takes action to breed results. You can think about crossing that finish line over and over, but until you get out there and experience the training runs, you'll never achieve the results you desire. 

Habits build a lifestyle. It's what you do on a daily basis that determines who you are and what you can achieve. When you align who you are with what you do, you can reach your goals. 

Act like the person you want to become. If you're going to be a runner, then you can't only think about it or read about, you need to run to gain the experience. Who do you want to become?

The time is now. It is always now. Do what you can, with what you have, with how life is today. Waiting for tomorrow is a form of an excuse. Don't wait for the perfect circumstances (they never come), chip away at those goals today. Show up and do the work.

I came away from the convention with a new way of thinking: How can I be more present and grateful in everything that I do? 

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Coach Lea