I am a firm believer that training your mind is the key to leading a successful life. Whether in sports, business or your personal life your mindset is a big factor in your success.

If you want to look and/or perform like an athlete then you have to think like one. The mind is by far the most powerful muscle in the body. If you can master a good healthy mindset you are onto a winner. According to Arnold Schwarzenegger “the most important muscle is the mind, and it’s potential is unlimited”. The brain is a muscle and no different to any other muscle in that the more you use it the stronger it gets.

For anyone to really physically transform their body there are eight mindset traits I believe you need to practice continually and it’s those aspects I want to walk you through today.

Just like you would train your physical body this is mind training. It’s getting fit, strong and healthy from the head downwards. Let’s get started …

MOTIVATION

I listed motivation at the top because it is by far the most important determinant as to whether or not you achieve any goals in life. I want your mojo to be mojo’ing and to do this you need a clear game plan on your what’s, why’s and how’s. Let me explain …

Firstly, you need to know what you want. What does it look like? How does it feel and sound? In other words, visualise the end result. Allow yourself to dream big. This in itself will get you fired up and excited. Another tip is make your goals specific and not flaky. Saying something like ‘I want to look great’ is no-where near as powerful as ‘I want to lose 10% body fat in the next three months’. Lastly have short (3 months), medium (6 -12 months) and long (12 months plus) term goals.

Now you need to ask yourself ‘why do I want this?’. Your why needs to be strong and very compelling so that you have the drive and strength to achieve it and get through the tough patches which will test your commitment.

Once you are clear on your what and why then it’s easy to work out the action plan to achieve it. And with a clear plan you won’t get side tracked by other people’s agendas and it will also de-clutter your mind and help you focus.

If you are feeling a little de-motivated watch this great video by Will Smith, it will be sure to pick you up.

POSITIVE MENTAL ATTITUDE

We’ve all experienced it – that destructive inner voice in our heads that’s negative. Remember though, that voice is not the boss but you are. I think affirmations are a powerful way to counter negative self talk. I would recommend you read a book by Louise Hay called ‘You can heal your life’ as she talks a lot about positive affirmations and there are also many great exercises to practice too. She also has produced this powerful audio CD with affirmations.

Another way I deal with negativity is to ask myself ‘what’s the worst that can happen?’ and you normally find the answer is really not that bad and it helps put things in perspective.

Remind yourself too of all the victories you have had no matter how small. This will instil self-belief and confidence. Having self-confidence is crucial but you are not born with it. It comes from within and you need to work on it constantly to help it to grow and strengthen.

Having faith and belief in yourself is paramount especially in times when no-one else thinks it’s going to work. This is when you really need to trust in your instinct and abilities. If you think you can, you will. Ban weak words from your vocabulary like ‘I can’t’ ‘I hope’ ‘maybe’ … but instead think and talk with conviction and strength. One of my favourite quotes is by Henry Ford “whether you believe that you can or can’t, you are right”. So true !

DISCIPLINE

To achieve a successful transformation no stone must be left unturned. Training is only one aspect. You also need the correct diet, supplementation, good quality sleep for recovery and a lifestyle that’s aligned to your goals. All these aspects need to be applied with discipline and consistency day in and day out. There will be countless times when your discipline is put to the test and you need to be prepared. You will have to resist the temptation of your friends when they ask you out for a pizza not to mention the minefield of party invites and alcohol.

There’s a great quote by Jim Rohn I read recently “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret”. This applies to anything in life. I know which I prefer. What about you?

IMPATIENTLY PATIENT

This phrase may seem confusing but what I mean is ‘make haste slowly’. On one hand I want you to be impatient to achieve your goals as it will propel you forwards, but don’t let this become a negative whereby you do not deal effectively with setbacks and become despondent – and worse still give up. There’s a big difference in wanting a realistic goal as fast as possible versus the ‘I want it now-itis’ syndrome. What I need you to do is channel that impatience but in a positive manner.

We live in a society where everyone seems to want it now. Rome was not built in a day and it’s as important to enjoy the process as well as the end results. You didn’t learn to drive a car in a day nor learn a new language overnight and it’s the same with transforming your health. So please give yourself the gift of time.

FOCUS

You need to dedicate and commit to your goals 100%, and I will not deny that you need to be nearly borderline obsessive. You need to be unstoppable and single minded. Do not let anything or anyone get in your way. You are on a mission and I need you to be persistence and keep your eye on the prize. I don’t know who said it but ‘never give up – never give in’.

Drawing up your plan as I mentioned earlier, on what you want, why you want it and how you will achieve it, will help you be more focused as well as giving you clarity. So make sure you do that exercise and then implement it.

The law of metaphysics says you get more of what you focus on. As Jack Canfield said “The more you talk about what you don’t want, or talk about how bad it is – well you are creating more of that”. So make sure you focus on the good stuff !  

STRENGTH

I’m not talking physical strength but mental strength here. There are going to be times when you hit a plateau, when the results slow down or you just feel like chucking in the towel. This is when you need to dig deep within yourself to find that inner strength to keep going.

People who display strength are defiant when going against the odds. They are steadfast, consistent, have stickability and self-belief. To put this in the context of our health and fitness goals: it’s not giving in to treats when you are facing peer pressure; it’s not giving up when the weight loss slows down; nor is it looking for quick fixes and short cuts.

In simple terms it is pure determination. There are two ways of looking at the meaning of determination. It can refer to your character or it can mean a final outcome but weirdly the two are interestingly related as this illustrates – “Your determination determines the determination of your life”.

So my question to you is – how will you develop mental strength and just as important maintain it when the going gets tough?

ACCOUNTABILITY

We’ve all met people who think they are entitled to everything and anything in life. It doesn’t work that way. You and you alone are responsible for your life. The buck stops there and you cannot blame anyone. When you blame other people all you do is give your power away. Do yourself a favour – take your power back and get into the driving seat of your own life. If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot control the event/outcome, remind yourself that what you can control is your response and attitude towards it.  

THINK LONG TERM

What I mean and would encourage you to do as you approach your health and fitness goals is to think about the bigger picture and what you are doing for your overall health. Yes we all want a slender, tight, toned body or maybe to be big and ripped – but also think about the overall picture and the wonderful gift you are giving yourself of health.

I would encourage you to view your transformation as a lifestyle choice rather than a quick fix which is never a good thing. Visualise a ‘healthier’ you. All too often we use phrases like …

•    I want to lose weight
•    I want to tighten my butt
•    If only I could get rid of those bingo wings etc

Why not also focus on being the healthiest you can be? Think about getting the basics right like good sleep, managing your stress and generally making solid lifestyle choices. Ironically you will find everything else will fall into place anyway!

So there you have it – my eight mindset tips to harness the power of your mind to help you transform your body and life. From personal experience and observation of others, I can tell you now your mind has the ability to control your entire being either positively or negatively. Choose to make your mind your best friend and not your worst enemy. A mind that shows you love, self respect and support instead of one that criticises and is negative. As Plato wisely said “The first and best victory is to conquer self”. When you achieve that you will be on the upward spiral of life and not the downward one.

Take care, Alex x