Prep update: stay in your own lane
My two favourite poses!
I’ve been a bit quiet on social media and my blog recently. Truth is, I’ve been really struggling with prep the last few weeks.
I’ve been beating myself up and I haven’t felt proud of my achievements - hence not sharing anything.
Don’t get me wrong. I am working. Hard. But for some reason I was telling myself it wasn’t hard enough. A combination of some stuff going on back home and the wonderful mental challenge that is prepping for a bodybuilding competition had left me doubting myself and slipping into negative thought patterns.
I’ve sat down a couple of times to try and write something but I’ve felt blocked and uninspired. Anytime I tried, I felt like a bit of a fraud.
I was scrolling Instagram looking at everyone coming in for the October show and I was comparing myself to how they were looking. Which is COMPLETELY the opposite of what I preach. So, not only was I worried about my physique but I was also then getting down on myself about being a bit ol’ hypocrite.
It seems there was something in the water last week. A couple of girls I know who are also prepping for various shows had minor meltdowns too. Some of the girls I follow on Instagram had also posted a few stories about similar issues. (Side note: where are all the dudes having mid-prep freak-outs? How do y’all hold it all together? GIVE ME YOUR SECRETS!)
Fortunately, something clicked this week. Maybe it was the three small breakdowns I had over the course of a couple of days (shouts go to my coach, my housemate and two friends Amelia and Harriet who bore the brunt of my shitty moods and lots of tears). Maybe it was my period. Or maybe it was the hours I spent trying to manifest a more positive talk track. I finally feel back on track this week.
Here’s the four main lessons I spent all week reminding myself of and I feel most people can benefit from remembering these things (I know I bloody did!).
Stay in your own lane
As I’ve said many times before, comparison is the thief of joy. It is simply impossible to compare your journey to someone else’s. It’s two completely different data sets. You have no idea what is happening on the other end of that Instagram photo. As I was reminded this weekend, even those who look like they have their shit together are struggling too.
We’re all just trying to get through this wonderful life best we can. You can not control anything that happens on the other side of that screen, so focus your energies on this side. The phrase “the grass is greenest where you water it” has been doing the rounds recently and it’s true. Work on yourself, for yourself and be proud of your wins, no matter how big or small.
Focus on the controllable, or risk being controlled by the uncontrollable
Over the last couple of weeks, I had found myself fixated on the end goal. I’m big into visualisation. I believe it’s a powerful tool, but it was becoming an obsession and my vision wasn’t aligning with my reality. Which is what was getting me all bent out of shape. I was so focussed on the destination and how far away from it I was instead of what I needed to do each day to get there.
There are so many unknowns in the lead up to a comp so by focussing on the things I have control over - such as my actions and daily habits - I can mitigate that feeling of ‘not being ready’. Daily habits for me include adherence to diet, training hard, getting my cardio in, practising my posing, getting in my rehab and mobility, getting enough sleep…. it seems like a lot but these behaviours have become habits over the last year. I know if I just concentrate ticking each of these smaller things off each day I will get where I need to be.
Stop. Seeking. Perfection.
Sounds like the beginning of a cheesy response to an interview question. “What are your weaknesses?” “I’m too much of a perfectionist!”
Though, it’s somewhat true. I’m a perfectionist with high expectations of myself. While this ensures I remain driven towards achieving a goal, this also means I have a tendency to be motivated by the pursuit of perfection - which, as we all know, is futile!
I’ve become better at appreciating my “best effort” rather than a perfect score but it’s still something I have to remind myself daily – to be fucking proud of what I have achieved and am currently doing every day, striving towards being a better version of myself.
For example! Right now, I am:
Up at 5/5.30am everyday for an hour of cardio
Weight training five days a week for 1 to 1.5 hours
Also doing 3 x 20min HIIT sessions a week
Doing yin yoga on my rest days
Practicing my posing 4 - 5 x 30mins a week
Adhering to my diet plan 100%
Working a full time job
Still hanging out with friends (albeit less and less as we get closer to comp)
Still committed to my 10 mins of rehab and mobility a day
And most likely more… wow… it seems a lot when I write it out like that! See, I just need to take a step back and give myself a pat on the back.
Finally, stop searching EXTERNALLY for validation
The only validation you (I) should be seeking is from within yourself (myself). Not through social media. Not through someone else’s praise. You must clap for yourself and you must learn to work even when you are the only person clapping.
You learn that pretty quickly at 5am, when it’s dark, and 4°, when you’re wandering the streets of Melbourne as you get your cardio in before work. There ain’t nobody getting you out of bed or congratulating you when you step outside into what feels like the arctic tundra.
As soon as I reminded myself this week that it’s just me vs me and no one else. That’s when it re-clicked for me and I’m more determined than ever to nail these last few weeks of prep.
Whatever the outcome, I know I’ve given it my all. Sure, there will always be ups and downs (such is the nature of life), but as long as I’ve given it my all, I will have achieved what I set out to do at the beginning of the year. My number one, overarching goal for 2019 - reach that stage leaving no stone unturned.
Robyn xxx