The Girl Who Wasn’t a Runner (Until She Was)
You’ll often hear me say “we are all works in progress”.
Although of course, this only applies if we are working on ourselves, whether it be on our health, relationships, fitness, mindset, knowledge, career etc.
I collaborate with a fabulous business owner and personal trainer, Kate Hickey, from Empower 360 Fitness. Recently we ran an 8-week program together called Total Body Reboot. The women who joined the program did so for a range of reasons – weight loss, muscle gain, to have more energy, to build healthy eating habits. The program includes weekly masterclasses on topics including hormones, gut health, stress, mindset and more.
In the mindset week, took a deep dive into the importance of trusting ourselves.
When we commit to any form of growth, whether following a structured program or taking things into our own hands, all our life experiences, all the stories we believe about ourselves, all the things that are important to us – both consciously and deep within our subconscious, play a role in the success of our growth.
Once, when you were small, you had a thought about yourself. Maybe you overheard someone and took their comment to be truth: “That one’s got a good appetite doesn’t she? Best keep an eye on her” and so you felt ashamed for enjoying your food and took to denying your appetite, furtively eating when no one was around. Maybe you attached a meaning to an event – you came last in a race, so you decided you weren’t a runner. Maybe you were told “good girls are quiet and polite” and so you felt you needed to stay on the side lines, even when you were itching to get out onto the field and kick the ball around with other kids.
These stories become ingrained beliefs with the potential to shape who we are and how we be.
The kid with the good appetite grows up, embarrassed to eat in front of others. The one who came last in a race decided running was not for her, took long, brisk walks instead, yet noticed other people who were running and couldn’t help wondering – what would that feel like? The quiet kid grew up watching others play soccer, had kids of her own who joined soccer clubs, all the while wondering how it might feel to be part of a team like the women she saw heading onto the pitch as she bundled her kids back into the car.
Stories that limit us, meanings we’ve given to events from our childhood, have power to shape our future.
One day, we decide, enough.
One day, we challenge those beliefs. We take a moment and say “hang on, is that really true?”.
One day, we trust ourselves to try something we’ve always dismissed, in the same way we encourage our kids to try something new, just give it a go, what’s the worst that can happen?
I’ve always wanted to try running. I’ll give it a go. I’ll start slow and give myself permission to take plenty of walking breaks.
I love food. I really love good food that nourishes me. From now on, I’m going to appreciate a good meal with my family instead of pushing food around my plate and pretending I’m not hungry.
I’ve always wanted to play soccer. I’m signing up as a complete novice. I hope they’ll go easy on me!
What’s the worst that can happen? You try, you fail, you try again. You try, you succeed a little, you try some more.
And with every try, every time you challenge that belief, every time you move away from that image and towards the image of who you want to be, you create the building blocks for the new you. The future you. The you who has always been there, who just needed the right encouragement. Who just needed the trust and the belief that you are capable of growth, of reinventing yourself. Of being a work in progress.
We can all be works in progress. The only question we need to ask is “in which direction do I want to progress?”
PS. The kid who wasn’t a runner? Ran a marathon at 52yrs of age. The one with the appetite? Cooks the most delicious meals for her family – and enjoys them. The one who wanted to play soccer? Joined an over-35s team and is now President of the local soccer club.