This weekend I had a blast doing a fitness photo shoot at my Bulletproof Ballerina home-base in NYC. As someone who spent most of her life in a battle with her body - being ruled by her mental demons and insecurities and destroying herself through eating disorders and other unhealthy behaviors - it was pretty surreal to be doing a fitness shoot in the first place. Acknowledging what I’ve been through and realizing that I’ve found a way to truly love and accept my body was encouraging. It really made me appreciate the journey I’m on.
The shoot itself was only 2 hours, but the prep beforehand was months in the making. Not only was I training hardcore to get my muscle definition to “pop,” but I followed my strategic Fuel the Fierceness diet plan for 5 weeks to facilitate muscle gains and fat loss. While I felt healthy and nourished (and not at all hungry!) on this photo-shoot-ready diet, I definitely missed some of my forbidden indulgences like chocolate and wine;) After weeks of following my plan, the struggle was real. I was feening for my treat meal at Shake Shack to reward myself after the shoot! Man, was that satisfying (both achieving my goals and the Shake Shack!)
But by the time Monday morning came around, I started the process all over again. Not in quite such an intense way since I don’t have another shoot scheduled (don’t worry, I’m not giving up my chocolate or wine yet!), but I already have goals in place for moving forward, things I want to improve upon next time around. So, I hit the weights that morning with a renewed vigor. I half expected to dread the work or feel daunted having stacked up more goals for myself. But no, I thrived on it!
I love the grind: the process of setting a goal, working hardcore to get results, rewarding myself for my efforts and achievements, and then starting it all over again. That’s what makes me feel alive… it’s my path to self-mastery. It’s what gives me control over my body and my life. It's what allows me to shape my SELF according to my desires.
This whole situation reminded me that working on yourself is a lifelong process. But, it should be a process that you love. Sure, we have different levels of goals from the daily micro goals to the larger scale ones spanning a year or more. But, we also have to keep in mind that life itself is a long-term goal. So many clients I work with get impatient when they set a goal in place. Whether it has to do with fat loss, muscle gains, or a lifestyle goal, they want to know how long it will take to achieve it. They want to get “it” right now. They get frustrated when they don’t see the results they want whether it’s been 2 weeks, 3 months, or 1 year. And, it’s because of this impatience that most people fall off and give up on their goals, give up on themselves. They aren’t willing to embrace the tough part. They just want the reward at the end.
Here's the dirty little secret: it's not the fulfillment of the goal itself that you should be focusing on. It's the process - the fact that you are working towards a better version of your SELF every second that is the fulfilling part. If you think about it that way, then you won’t get disappointed in yourself for not being “there” yet. Rather, you are able to stay in your body, in the moment, and be proud and satisfied that you are doing the work that will lead to a better you.
Because the truth is…you never will be “there.” You will always want more. And you know what? You should. You don’t want to get to a point where you can sit back and coast; where you stay the same; where you stop growing. How crazy boring would that be? Don’t you always want to be reaching for more, getting better, experiencing more out of life? But the key is to love yourself while you are reaching for more. That is how you find true fulfillment. That is how you make peace with your lifelong process. It’s not about getting to your goal…it’s the working towards it that matters. Learn to love the grind;)
Have a photo shoot coming up or a big event that you want to transform for? Email me for information on Nutrition Coaching and my Fuel the Fierceness secrets! Let me help you Love the Grind!
Photo Credits: Estilo Antunes Photography
