Have you ever built a Lego kit? Yesterday, I was in a
meeting with my team, and one of my coworkers pointed out that she looks at
projects like Lego kits. Each component of the project has to be identified and
put with others that are similar to it. You have to make sure you have all the
pieces you need before you start, or you won’t be successful. Then, there is a
step by step process to completing the Lego project or you won’t end up with a
finished project that looks right.
I thought this was SUCH a profoundly simple way of breaking
down projects. Then, this morning, I woke up thinking about this analogy again
and realized that it applies to working out and fitness as well.
You don’t just start a program and immediately perform every
move perfectly. You just don’t. (well, you might, if you are WonderWoman or Mr.
Universe, but I think even they have learning curves!) You take one step at a
time. One movement, one exercise, one day, until eventually, you are able to do
it all to the best of your ability.
I think that often, we start a program and, when we can’t do
everything right away, we get discouraged. How about if we, instead, take it
one step at a time, and one component at a time, and figure out a path to get
where we want to go instead? I have started doing this, and I’m having more
success and am far happier than I was before I started trying to WonderWoman my
way through!
I do Beachbody workouts. They are fairly badass, and led by
supertrainers who are in incredible shape! They aren’t like me, they do this
for a living, and they have done it for a living for a long time! I, on the
other hand, am 57 years old. 40 years ago, I was captain of the varsity swim
team. 30 years ago, I did Jazzercise, and I did it on and off until about 15
years ago. For the past 5 years, I’ve done DDPYoga, until I was forced to take
a break for the very reason I’m describing here. I went in with the mindset
that I should be doing what the trainer on the screen was doing. It took a LONG
time and a LOT of frustration for me to understand that Dallas has been doing
this for over 20 years. I was new to it, I shouldn’t have been forcing my body
to do motions it wasn’t ready to do. I needed to be patient and build. I needed
to identify the Lego components and follow the instructions. Are you with me?
Do you see where I’m going?
I’m currently doing a program called 80 Day Obsession. We
just started Monday. I have the insanely amazing experience of being in the
Exclusive Coach Group. I’m there with 40,000 other Beachbody Coaches, from all
walks of life, all over the world, at all different experience levels. We are
there together, supporting each other, doing our best with this new program,
and trying to learn it so we can help our teams learn it and be successful with
it. Am I killing it? Well, I am for me!!! I’ve finished all 3 days, and I’m still
here. J
When I first started Beachbody workouts, I started on a
special challenge week led by a man named ShaunT. He is, beyond a doubt, one of
the most inspiring people on the planet, (behind Diamond Dallas Page, don’t get
me wrong!). Shaun week was hard, guys. It was REALLY hard! On Day 1, as I did
it, I couldn’t breathe. I was sweating so badly I couldn’t see. I wasn’t sure
if I could finish. I finally reached a point where I started to just march when
I didn’t think I could do anymore. When it ended, I celebrated. Then I told
myself, “if I can finish up to Day 3, I’ll be proud.” So the next day I hit
play again. I repeated the sweating and lack of oxygen, marching, and finished
Day 2. Each day, I kept moving. I wasn’t comfortable getting on the floor to do
bear crawls, so I toe tapped the edge of a step instead. Not quite the same
move, but I was pushing, for me. As the days progressed, I found more and more
ways to do more than march. I got creative, and I kept moving. I didn’t stop. I
didn’t quit, I just modified. Guess what? I finished the entire week! I then
moved on to a program called Shift Shop. It was SO hard, y’all. I mean, it was
SO hard!!! I felt like I’d never get it down and I had to move around and try
to march and do all sorts of things that were outside my comfort zone. I
modified the heck out of it, and finished that twice! I’ve done other programs
the same way and I’m down 30 inches and 23 pounds since I started Beachbody in
late June, so I know it works.
Bottom line, never give up. Keep moving. Can’t do it? Once you
try it once, substitute in something similar that you CAN do. Keep moving. Next
time you hit that move later in the program? Try it again, modify it again.
Eventually, I will bet you that you will be able to do the move. Really. Trust
me. I can do ShaunT week workouts 90% unmodified now. (the remaining
modification is me protecting myself from an old injury and I’m good with
that!)
Please don’t stop. If you need help with modifications, if
you need help staying motivated? Let me know. I’m here to help. I’m more than
happy to try to help as long as you are willing to put in the work.
Want me as your coach? Click here: COACH
ME PLEASE
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