Fitness. It’s one of those things where either you love it or you hate it. Quite honestly, most people either hate it or have a love-hate relationship with it. Very few people actually love the thought of working out. But why is that? Why do we have such a disdain for something that has the power to change our lives for the better? Well, I can think of a few reasons. More than likely, you are suffering from a mental roadblock or two that keeps getting in your way.

Mental Roadblock #1: Defeatist Attitude

Example: “There’s no way I’m going to be able to reach my goal!” This mental roadblock is the one that causes you to give up before you even try. Maybe it’s been months or even years since you’ve worked out or attempted to eat healthy. The mere thought of making a change seems overwhelming. Instead of anticipating the best, you’re expecting the worst. Trust me, you are not alone. So often, we miss out on potential blessings because of our own beliefs. We believe we won’t be able to reach our fitness goals. Defeatist attitude. We believe that if we do try to pursue a life of fitness, we will end up failing. Defeatist attitude. We believe it will be too hard (and we haven’t even tried). Defeatist attitude. These are all beliefs that are set up to keep us from becoming our best selves.

How to Overcome a Defeatist attitude

One great way to overcome a defeatist attitude is through daily affirmations. This is something that we at MommiNation encourage and believe in, and our good sis Destiny Aja keeps them coming for us! If you participated in the Mommi 2.0 Challenge or the Fit Mommi Challenge that ended today, you know what I’m talking about. The affirmations Destiny provides add a layer of motivation, comfort, and ignite a fire of determination in us. Did you know that daily affirmations have been PROVEN to motivate and boost confidence? According to an article from The Intuitive Phoenix Blog, they even improve your quality of life and lead to better health. So, start talking to yourself, Sis!

Mental Roadblock #2: Pessimism

Example: “This is not going to end well!” This mental roadblock usually pops up in the beginning of your fitness journey, and sometimes it happens mid-workout. Pessimism is “a tendency to see the worst aspect of things or believe that the worst will happen; a lack of hope or confidence in the future.” Now THAT is deep! A lack of hope or confidence in the future. Not to take it to church on y’all, but that sounds like the absence of faith to me. (insert big eye balls) Listen, the mind is a powerful thing, and if you believe that the worst will happen, it probably will. What the heck, let’s go to church!

How to Overcome Pessimism

Phillipians 4:8 says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” You have to take inventory of your thoughts, and any thought that does not align with this passage needs to be evicted. Period. Start replacing the negativity in your surroundings and in your life. Be intentional about finding the good in every situation. For more tips on how to how to stop being pessimistic, click here.

Mental Roadblock #3: Unrealistic Expectations

Example: “I’m not seeing any change!” This mental roadblock will have you thinking all kinds of backwards. Let’s just cut to the chase. Rome was NOT built in a day, Sis! What makes you think your dream body will be? The most effective health and fitness habits and routines are set up to yield long-term success, not instant gratification. Another example of this is dieting. Some of us end up frustrated with ourselves because we keep “failing” at our diet. But what does that diet consist of? One meal a day? This is something I’ve had to embrace for myself, at a deeper level. I’ve done the keto diet a couple of times. I have fun when I’m keto because I get to try new recipes that I normally wouldn’t cook. I also have an opportunity to get creative with desserts. However, I’ve realized that as a foodie, completely depriving myself of foods that I love does not work for me. I only end up indulging in the long run and falling completely off the wagon. So, I had to go back to the drawing board and set realistic expectations for myself.

How to Overcome Unrealistic Expectations

The first key to overcoming unrealistic expectations and creating realistic expectations for yourself is to know yourself. This requires a level or honest, self-reflection, and vulnerability with the (wo)man in the mirror. What are your strengths and your weaknesses? What are you natural abilities. These are all things you should know about yourself. Then, you can set realistic expectations based on truth. Once you know yourself, you’ve got to stop comparing yourself to other people. God created YOU to be YOU, and there ain’t another person on this earth who brings to the table what you bring.

OK, follow me. We all make up one body, the body of Christ. We each play a key role in making that body function properly. If you are supposed to be a foot, but you want to be a nose like Keisha, we’re gonna end up with two noses. Oh, we’ll be able to smell things from a mile away, but it’s gonna take us longer to get to the thing we smell because you (the foot) decided you didn’t want to play your position. In the words of Jonathan McReynolds, comparison kills! So don’t do it. Be you and walk in who God has created you to be with your head held high! If you need help to stop expecting too much of yourself, click here.

I really hope this blog is helpful because I know these mental roadblocks are real, and they rob women of their best life every day. I encourage you to make a choice today to push past those roadblocks, kick them thangs DOWN!!! And push forward to a better future, a better life, and a better you.

Yours in Fitness,

Mommi Joanna