I experienced a really big milestone recently — I passed the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) exam to become a certified personal trainer. The last few months have been study, study, study… all while “regular” life was going on.
I’m normally really good at managing stress and anxiety (#healthcoach), but holy bajoly, taking the NASM exam had my nerves up! ? Props to anyone who has taken on additional, structured education as an adult. It’s kind of a big deal!
Despite the additional stress, I know is I’ll never stop learning and challenging myself and if you read this, I hope that if there’s something you’d like to do in your life that you realize what you want is possible for you, too.
Don’t ever give up on yourself. ?
Don’t give up on what you want to create.
Don’t give up on those whispers inside that are leading you to something.
Be brave enough to say yes to possibility.
Be fearless in your quest for fulfillment.
Keep coming back to the questions:
What do I want more of?
What do I want less of?
Is this how I want to feel?
Settle down and ask yourself. Then do something about it. Don’t just talk about it. Or vent to people. Or complain about how all the cards are stacked against you (time, money, other people).
DO something.
This doesn’t have to look like burning everything to the ground and starting over. Yes, I made a pretty big career change, but it’s taken about a few years for this transition to come to fruition. It didn’t happen overnight – it was lots of little yeses. And lots of “no thank yous,” too.
No, to a schedule and workflow that drained me.
Yes, to the discomfort of learning new things.
No, to clients who didn’t value me.
Yes, to figuring out a completely different business model.
Everything takes time. Be ok with that.
Manage your thoughts, expectations and anxiety around instantaneousness. Jeez, we live in a society that wants everything done right now. I know it’s hard to not know how something is going to turn out or to be so focused on the outcome.
I was obsessed with not failing that test. It was a huge weight, pun intended lol. I got frustrated with myself because all I wanted to do was pass so I could get back to doing what I love (instead of obsessively studying). Guess what happened?
I kinda forgot to ENJOY the learning part. (#lifelesson) But it’s been tackled and accomplished, and now I’m assessing what I got out of the whole experience besides a piece of paper making me official. A big part of what I would do differently in the future is relax into the process.
Are you processed oriented or goal oriented?
There are times to be motivated, driven and perhaps obsessed with your goal. But if it robs you of the actual experience, then take a step back. That cliché about “enjoying the journey” is actually true. In a lot of ways, that’s what life essentially is… one big journey of experiences.
Because a lot of times we get to the “there” and then what? We come up with something else, right? #anothercertificationiscoming ?
The other morning I just stopped and thought for a bit about how deeply happy and excited I am about getting the certification. I didn’t spin into a to do list or next steps, but just sat still for a moment and really savored how good it felt that I did it.
So what happens when you do accomplish something? You get a reward!!!
Make sure to celebrate.
I’m thankful to a coach I worked with, Elinor Cohen, who has her clients make a list of ways to celebrate successes (before they happen). For many years, I would drive by Cracker Barrel and glance longingly at the white rocking chairs lined up under the covered awning, wishing I had one. A few weeks ago, I got one as a celebration for the new health coaching and personal training clients I’ve signed up.
I wrote this post sitting in my rocking chair, listening to the birds sing during dawn, while the air was a little crisp and the world was still and quiet. It was blissful.
For passing my exam, I did a breathwork class on a Friday afternoon. In years past, I would never have let myself have those quiet, spectacularly meditative moments during a workday, gasp!
Give yourself the gift of celebration. Honor your hard work, your focus, your commitment to yourself. It helps to have the list beforehand or pick a milestone and choose the reward.
Ask for help.
I am not the best at this. So this is a little of “do as I say, not as I do” lol. I’m a tad bit independent and loathe to seem “weak,” as if needing help means I’m failing.
But sometimes we have seasons of overwhelm and I’m so grateful and appreciative of my support network who listened to me freak out, reminded me of my own worth, and helped me in little and big ways. Even when I wasn’t so good at asking.
If you are dreaming up something, where can you ask for help? This can go a long way with making stuff happen.
What’s next????
I’d love to hear what you are dreaming about! Hit reply and tell me!!!! What do you want more of?? What do you want less of???
If you’re ready to get your mind and body ready for summer, then join me in my next Real Food Challenge – starting Monday, June 14. You’ll get recipes and menus for a week, plus access to a private facebook group. After doing the challenge, people have lost weight, had more energy, learned new ways of cooking and were motivated to keep going even after the challenge.
If you’re interested in the challenge, just hit reply and say “I’m in!!!” If you want more details, check this out – June Real Food Challenge.
Summer officially starts the following week, so this is a perfect time to kick it off!!
When it comes to fitness, if you need a gym home, come to one of my classes at Benifit Fitness in O’Fallon or if you’d like to talk about personal 1:1 training, let me know. It is unbelievably fulfilling to help people reconnect to their bodies and get stronger!! ?
May you “RISE. KICK BUTT. REST. REPEAT.” in the words of the lovely card my hubby gave me.
Many hugs,
Laura
