Archive for May, 2010

h1

Are You Afraid of Being A Success?

May 17, 2010

I have been consulting with an athlete (her pseudo name is Tanya) for the last 10 months to help her earn an athletic scholarship. She has put forth tremendous effort to improve the skills required of her to perform optimally in her sport. She has also worked very smart to increase her physical condition and release some unnecessary weight.

Last week, during our consulting session, Tanya was disappointed in herself because she had gained some weight back. Through our discussion, it became clear to Tanya that one of the reasons she was not able to maintain her new weight was that she was experiencing living in a new body and was unsure how to cope with it. Although Tanya wanted to release the weight for her health and to improve her performance on the field, she confessed that it felt weird and uncomfortable to feel the way she did.

Many people who achieve their goals experience a fear of success.  Athletes spend numerous hours training and working smart to achieve their goals. Some of them never really take the time to prepare for when their smart work begins to a pay off. What will they do to maintain their new level of performance? What will they do to become comfortable with their new mind and body? When these preparations doe not take place, the athletes are in unfamiliar territory and can perceive that as fearful. Consequently, to eliminate the fear, they resort back to their old behaviors

Tanya and I spent the rest of our consultation session focusing on three things: (1) the action steps required to achieve her goals, (2) the action steps required to maintain the results she has achieved and (3) the action steps to help Tanya become comfortable in her new mind and body.

One way to help Tanya look forward to realizing her goals, instead of being fearful of them, was to focus on the positive aspects. She needed to be reminded of how great she would feel and how confident she would become when she achieved her goals. She needed to focus on the enjoyment associated with her new behaviors. It was going to be fun to put on clothes and realize they were too big for her. She was going to be a role model and leader when she chose the piece of fruit instead of the piece of chocolate at lunch with her friends. Tanya also needed to prepare for the compliments she was going to receive from friends and family. Instead of perceiving them to be stressful she needed to perceive the comments as positive reinforcement.

Call to Action

Prepare for when you achieve your goals? What will you do to maintain your new level of performance? What will you do to become comfortable with the ‘new you’?

P.S. Leave a comment to tell me what you think or if you have any questions.
P.P.S. Click here to download a copy of this article to share with a friend

Believe and Achieve,
*Haley Perlus, Ph.D.*

Posted in Athlete | 4 Comments »

h1

Show Me the Numbers!

May 8, 2010

On Wednesday I participated in a cycle class with about 30 other fitness enthusiasts. Each bike had a small computer, attached to the handlebars, to record various performances including watts, RPM, caloric output and miles per hour.

As I was setting up my bike for the class, an individual (let’s call her Rachel) started setting up the bike to my right. When she was ready, she began pedaling to warm-up. Within about 30 seconds, she got off the bike, collected her things and moved to use another bike.

Two minutes later, a second member (let’s call her Wendy) started setting up the same bike. Similar to Rachel, she quickly got off the bike and moved to use the bike on my left.

Three minutes into class, a third person (let’s call her Tammy) chose to ride the bike on my ride. To save her the effort, I leaned over to warn her that two riders had begun riding that bike, but then quickly moved to another bone. I was under the impression that something was wrong with the bike. Maybe it was the resistance or the clips that were giving Rachel and Wendy trouble. Tammy thanked me and quickly chose another bike.

To cure my curiosity, I looked to Wendy, who was on my left, and asked her why she had switched bikes. She said that the computer wasn’t working. The information, especially the caloric output and RPM, were catalysts for her motivation and she wanted to use them during class to help her persevere.

What Rachel and Wendy have learned, and what I want to teach you today is the importance of measuring your performance. Wendy said that the computer’s measurements increased her motivation on the bike. The reason for this is because the numbers allow her to compete against herself. For example, in that particular cycle class, we performed three sets of two-minute intervals. If Wendy’s RPM for the first interval was between 85 and 90 for the first interval, she was motivated to either stay within the same range or beat it for the next two intervals. Also, if the computer said Wendy used 453 calories in last week’s cycle class, Wendy would be motivated to use more calories in today’s class.

Logging numbers is also a great way to increase your confidence. Your caloric output, distance covered, RPM, speed and heart rate provide evidence of what you can accomplish when you train. When those numbers change, as a result of your increased strength, speed and overall health condition, you will develop a powerful belief in yourself and your ability to achieve your fitness goals. Nothing will stop you from looking the way you want to look and feeling the way you want to feel!

Call to Action

Use one or two measurements to track your progress. Use your numbers to set goals during your fitness training. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get motivated and exert high levels of effort and intensity when you train.

Believe and Achieve,
*Haley Perlus, Ph.D.*

P.S. Leave a comment to tell me what you think or if you have any questions.
P.P.S. Click here to download a copy of this article to share with a friend

Posted in Fitness Enthusiast | Leave a Comment »