Don't be your own limiting factor

There are so many sayings out there that talk about 'reaching your potential', that tell you to 'be all that you can be'. It's hammered into our brains. Push hard. Strive to be your best. As a coach, I consider one of my main jobs is to help people reach that level of personal success. I hear reasons everyday about why people 'can't' do something and so I spend a great deal of time reminding people of what they CAN do and more importantly, what they ARE doing. I find that people and especially in my experience, women, are so focused on the aspects of life they aren't achieving what they want to that they ignore all of the great things they are doing to move their lives forward. Keeping this negative view of themselves essentially puts their own glass ceiling on what they can acheive. I can remind them on an almost daily basis of all the good things they are doing, but the majority don't catch on and they wind up on this endless cycle of selling themselves short of what they can accomplish. So what is it that some people 'get' and others don't?

What is the limiting factor?

They are.

In this world we rely so much on external cues to tell us if we've reached a level of success that without them, we often can't tell if we've done well or not. What people are missing is that inherent feeling inside that can tell them if they're doing well; that they can acheive and do so much more than they are doing, which is what will push them forward to grab hold of it. As a coach, I try to kickstart that voice and see potential in my clients that maybe they can't see. I push them to lift heavier weights, expect more from their ability to follow a nutrition program, to get into the gym on a regular basis. If they can just catch a concrete glimpse of the level of success they can get to, then that can propel them forward and get them to push themselves further so they won't rely on me for it anymore. My ultimate goal is that clients won't need me anymore. I want to teach them to be self-sufficient and be their own 'potential-finder'.

In the absence of having a trainer beside you, there are many ways to recognize your own success and push forward to reach your own maximum potential.

• Look where you've come from, not at the end goal - so often people have lofty fitness or career goals. They look years down the road at the end goal and it seems so far off. It happens in all facets of life. Even last night my husband and I were chatting about his residency, and the thought of 5 or 6 more years of it seemed daunting and a bit overwhelming. But then we chatted about how far he had already come and the 5 years left didn't seem as intimidating. With fat loss, people are so focused on the end goal, that it can often stifle the success you should feel over where you have come from. Maybe you have 50lbs more to go - but look back. Where did you start? What changes have you made to your life since you began striving for this goal? Give yourself credit for the successes you've already acheived and use that momentum to keep going.

• Every day focus on what you did well. It's easy to focus on the mistakes you make. It's much harder to draw attention to your strengths. My advice? Every night consciously note where you did well that day. What positive choices did you make? Sure, every choice you made might not have been perfect - but guaranteed you made some choices that are pushing you in the right direction. What are they? Write them down and refer to them often.

• Clean slate policy. A concept discussed by Precision Nutrition focuses on the idea that we all make mistakes. Where we really mess up is when we focus on those errors instead of looking forward into the future and starting fresh. Just because you went off track yesterday doesn't mean it need to continue into today. Stop feeling bad about past behaviour, and instead focus on your future behaviour.

• Trouble shooting. A continuation from the Clean Slate Policy - learn from your mistakes. What was it that made you stray from your path? Learn from that trigger and set up your environment to avoid it or minimize it.

The most important thing to think about when you are doubting your own potential and ability to reach your goals is, why not? Why can't you accomplish the goals you've set for yourself? There is always a way. If there doesn't seem to be a way. Make one.

The world throws obstacles at us and if we don't believe in our own potential, we'll never make it! It may not feel natural at first - but be your own biggest fan. Don't rely on others. Don't let your only limiting factor be you.