***THIS IS PART 1 OF A 2-PART POST***
So, in August (or was it July? I can’t remember now) I decided I was about to take my #fitnessgoals to another level. I was on some, “ok Nosi, you KNOW you are on that get healthy tip and have been trying that wog (jog and walk) regime three times a week. How about we hit the gym?” Yea, yea, yea… Also, going to the gym is cool right? So I hit up my older sister, who has been religiously doing the gym thing for a while now, and I’m like “hook me up with that gym membership sis” and she does. So it’s game time and I have the hello Coca-Cola body type thing going in my head already.
The idea of it was exciting but the practice, not so much. Sooooo, the first week of the gym comes around and I am pumped – really, this was the second week, but I only went once the first week so that doesn’t count. Also, I am like, I paid for the month… The month will end soon… I have only been to the gym once… I am not doing this to my money (really my sister’s money but hey)… Let’s get this…. I better max out on this gym membership now…
And then there were pull-ups – Disclaimer, let’s be honest for a second. It wasn’t pull-ups, it was sit-ups but I wasn’t about to mess with the “Pull ups ain’t pulling me up” title so here we are ‘\_(“/)_/’ (That is a shrugging woman emoji, FYI). Y’all, I have never wanted to cry endurance tears this much in my life!!! It was legit, I was on some “heck no, I am not about to do this” tip but I had to…While the experience itself is nothing to write home about *boohoo Coca-Cola body* and *respect to those that hit the gym religiously* I took some lessons from the whole experience that I figured I’d share…. So here goes.
Lesson 1: Your SQUAD better be LEGIT
So, I did those sit-ups, right? Wrong!! I was losing fam! Like, it was bad. I didn’t want to do it anymore. The only thing in my head was, what in the world was I thinking signing up for this gym membership… But you know what? My sister didn’t let me give up.
At some point, she gave me that “big sister look.” You know that looks that tells you, you better pick yourself up real quick. Yea, that one! At some point she hit me with that, “Nosi, we paid for this and you are going to do this thing. When and where will you learn if you don’t do it right here and right now?” I wasn’t happy about that… NOT.ONE BIT!!
It was at that moment, though, that I realized she was NOT going to let me give up. Sometimes we get into situations and places where giving up is easy; where it is easy to let it go because we are lacking in endurance. It seems like the back, where we came from, is so much better than the future that seems unreachable. Those are the moments when you need the squad the most. If you have it right, they are the ones who will shift your focus from your sphere of concern to your sphere of influence. I beg, get you a legit squad.
Lesson 2: Your DRIVE better be LEGIT
One thing I know, the trainers’ drive was legit! Hahaha. No, seriously! The guy had me! He insisted that I wasn’t going to stop until I could throw the ball far enough (yes, yes, there was a ball. I had to do sit-ups AND throw a 4kg ball!! I.FREAKING.KNOW).
Let’s talk vision, mission and aims for a minute. We need to create a vision for our life that is focused on a solid purpose, a purpose that is bigger than ourselves. I told y’all, my motivation for the gym life was a “coca-cola body” but – to be honest – it was much more than that. It was about getting myself toned up, boosting my health habits and becoming a “fitter me” (corny I know). I am not sure if that is “a purpose that is bigger than [myself]” but that was my drive alright.
We need to get ourselves to a place where we are driven to achieve our goals at all costs!! It would have been easy for me to walk out of the gym at that moment, no one was stopping me after all, but I decided I wouldn’t do that. I wasn’t about to let my drive down. When our drive comes from the inside, it becomes legit. When it is inspired by our purpose rather than social media or social constructs, we have no option but to pursue it. One of my inspirations in a legit drive has been my younger sister for a while. I remember this girl taking a gap year because she made it into a Chemical Engineering program but not a Medicine program. She said, nope, ain’t gonna do that. Imma try until I get into medicine – she graduates next year!
How many times have you thought about quitting and then remembered your drive? How many times have you quit because you forgot what your drive was? Or maybe, how many times have you quit because your drive wasn’t strong enough; wasn’t legit? This was a big lesson for me in redefining my doubt and making it the legit-est it can be! We need to have a drive that will force us to do things, to put in the work, even when we don’t feel like doing it.
***Watch out for Lesson 3 and 4 in October***
“Be around people that make you want to be a better person, who make you feel good, make you laugh, and remind you what’s important in life.”
― Germany Kent
#Thriving 