Get Out of Your Way!

Have you ever worked for a micro-manager? You know, the type of boss that not only tells you what to do but how to do it? Each step of the way breathing down your neck, looking over your shoulder, and killing you slowly with deep sighs and laser beam eyeballs! Its impossible to relax; making it impossible to know if you are doing the right thing or even be happy if you are. How can you believe in you if they don’t believe in you? And how are you supposed to be successful at anything if your focus is on what you did wrong or could have done better? You could probably swap story after story about these very situations and “constructive criticizers,” but most of us would just be “a pot calling a kettle black.” Yep, that’s right. We are all cut from the same cloth, why you ask?

How many times have you set a goal and made a plan to reach it? How many times have you stopped midway because “it’s not working,” “it’s not worth it” or “it’s too hard.” Why? Why does it always seem to come to this? Maybe because with every positive step we take, we seem to throw in two negative thoughts to tag along. We are micro-managers of ourselves. We can’t just set a goal, take reasonable steps, and wait to get there. We have to analyze ourselves everyday for perfection, progress, and results. Not celebrating successes, or the steps you took toward your goals, but only thinking about all the things you COULD have done better is holding you back. The pressure you put on yourself is building up a heavy load on your shoulders slowing you down and making it that much harder to reach the finish line. Your patience, self esteem, and perseverance diminishes and all you’re left with are feelings of hopelessness and failure.  

Take a moment to think about what is keeping you from reaching your goals. If you are honest with yourself, you will probably find that you are the only thing standing in your way. Make sure to celebrate your successes no matter how big or small. One less diet coke that day, getting to bed 30 min earlier, shaving off 10 seconds on that leader board WOD. They are all accomplishments and deserve recognition. You may feel that these are small steps on a long road, but they are steps forward. Don’t analyze them; don’t berate yourself because you “could have gone to bed 31 min earlier” just be happy and look forward. Stop putting pressure on yourself and live your life a little lighter and brighter :)

If you haven't noticed already, CFM has added a PR board in the lobby. Use it to write your successes down and share them with your fellow athletes. We all support each other, so check out what others are accomplishing and be sure to congratulate them.