Fitness & motivation are very similar to climbing a mountain; taking the time to consider what your goal is & why, and then planning the details. Once on the route, get to know the terrain and start preparing to ensure you are ready for the challenge. Though keeping your eyes on the prize is the most important, how do you ensure not getting lost en route?

With your fitness goals, as much as with your life goals, the key is to break it down into manageable pieces. To keep motivated and consistent (consistency is key!), challenges are a good way to energise these goals. Not only does this self declaration of a 21 or 30 day challenge help you get some social buzz from friends on social media, it helps you select and prepare the tools you need to reach the end prize.

and Here are 3 key benefits to consider:

1. Perspective & knowing YOU – YOUR confidence to do anything in your life

All the tools you need are within you; there is nothing you cannot achieve if you put your mind to it. Challenges backed by a well laid plan are most likely to be met with success. Keeping this in mind like a daily mantra will help you succeed. The key is all about focusing on solutions rather than problems. 

For example, you experience a leg injury which prevents you from preparing for the marathon you had been planning; do you stick with the programme and make the injury worse, or do you take a step back and consider what other parts of your body you need to achieve this marathon, such as a strong core, and tailor your training accordingly? In such a situation, switching your 10km for an appropriate level of planks and fluidity will help you come back stronger. Never stop – listen to your body and get creative!  This is called reframing/changing your perspective (Ben Newman Leaving YOUR Legacy). Accepting, acting, reframing is key to move forward, keeping you to steps that drive success.

Perspective is what makes you look beyond the status quo and perceived limitations, and why it is seen as key to success by most elite athletes. In yoga for example, this is expressed by connecting with the energy and the breath, listening to your body and letting go of limitations.

2. Energy to ATTACK the process – do not limit yourself to the status quo

Humans are naturally geared to focus on end results and reward rather than on the daily disciplines that drive success. ATTACKING the process is all about looking at the bigger picture and holding a strong belief in what is possible for and within YOU. Once you paint that picture on the canvas of your imagination, it’s time to put it right in front of your eyes and clearly identify the daily steps that are within your control to bring you closer to your goal, one day at a time. 

What separates those who achieve bigger goals from those who don’t comes down to this: anchoring their goals firmly in their mind, keeping focused and then striving relentlessly towards these goals.

Some people go to the gym. In their mind, the fact that they go means they must succeed – why then do they not perform at their sport? Why indeed – they did the work. Following motions in some sports simply is not sufficient; you must go beyond the motion and learn the technique to fully realise and capitalize on the power you have built up on a daily basis. Following the motion without a critical perspective doesn’t mean you haven’t made any real progress though. What matters however is how you treat that time, how far you’re willing to reach and push yourself, continuously improving your skills while at the same time becoming less and less distracted by the allure of some “end goal.”

The key is to keep an open mind, to persevere and be critical yet kind to yourself, and adding to the master plan by asking help from experts, and applying this to your thoughts and training. Remember, “you are what you think all day long” (Ralf Wald Emerson); so mind those thoughts in order to attract what you desire. 

YOU’VE GOT THIS! You’ll get there. Don’t worry and keep going. Just stay focused on the continual improvement process.

3. Set your LEGACY goal; then work backwards

Privilege can put many into a false reality or nourish expectations of what we deserve, yet does not give many the tools to be successful. At every level, gratitude must be at the core of our goals. This, akin to Maslow’s theory shows our human mechanic benefits from freedom of limitation and the ability to dig deeper.

The biggest challenge to dig deeper is setting a legacy, writing  the story of your life. It’s all about LEGACY, and then working backwards to figure out what needs to happen today in order for that Legacy to live on. 

Just as for your yearly goal, having a parachute view from above is as powerful, if not more so, than the journey to get there. This technique is to always keep the bigger picture in mind and that image you have built on the canvas of your imagination. The key is knowing where you want to go, so that you can work out how to get there. I.e start colouring the details. It doesn’t all have to be there from the onset, but trust it will be there. 

Cultivating a long-term mindset will carry you over the hurdles along the way and through challenging trenches; but you have to know what your Legacy is. What do you truly want for yourself? What is the impact you want to leave behind? And most importantly, how hard are you willing to work to make it happen?

These are the questions that champions continuously ask themselves. And if you can’t find the answers on your own, then welcome to the world of support. You are not alone! When do you ever see the best players not having coaches? Community (friends, family and teams) and coaches (specialist support) are all how humans can excel to their peak. 

To put our money where our mouth is, for the next 30 days, we will look to reach our peaks by moving around the 4 peaks of the world on the climb to everest. 

Join us from 6 June 2020! Find out more about the callenge and how to join here and follow us on Instagram @bluetigereye_wellness and Facebook @bluetigereyewellness to see out team’s daily challenge videos. Limited spaces avaiable so don’t miss out! Sign up closes Friday 12 June 5pm CEST