Awhile back, my assistant coach shared a TedTalk with the team by Amy Cuddy. This woman talks about the important of body language and how you present yourself. Although I’m not going to talk about body language, this past month I couldn’t get her single quote out of my head. She said,
“…I want to say to you, don’t fake it till you make it. Fake it till you become it.”
This powerful line continues to rummage through my head whenever I being to feel discouraged or weary.
I want to share this concept with you all but in a different light. I’m not trying to change my body language or make you aware of yours, although it probably would help. I’m simply admitting that although I dislike fake people and the idea of “pretending”, I need to have a paradigm shift, I have to fake it until I become it.
What I mean by this is that I have to become more of an independent person than I have been or liked to believe I was. Being catered to for some time… (well most of my life ) I’ve gotten away with not taking care of myself like I should.
Looking back to my experience while being on the volleyball team, or sports in general, it was easy to workout, eat right and lift, because not only were you being held accountable for yourself, but by 15 other people! And believe me; they held you accountable if they thought you were slacking. Being away from that life style, I’ve definitely let myself get away with snacking more, staying up late, and not working out like I use to.
To be perfectly honest, it’s turned me into a pretty lazy person, which is far from the person I ever want to be, or thought I would be.
I have to fake it until I become it. - I have to begin acting like I love waking up early to start my day with a workout. - I have to begin acting like I hate ice cream. - I have to start making sleep my best friend. Above all, I have to start taking care of MYSELF.
Here’s how I plan on doing all those things.
1. Get up and go!
Make a mental plan of how you’re going to start your day, before you go to sleep. Stop sleeping in! Get your butt up, hit the gym, and start your day off by doing something productive.
2. Preplan and prep for your work out and meals prior to the week.
Have a set of workout clothes packed and ready!
There’s no excuse then as to why you shouldn’t be eating right when it’s already made and ready to eat. Cutting up fruits and veggies is what my roommate and I do, which makes it easy to grab and go when you’re on the run. Also helps you avoid buying snacks before a lecture. Drinking more water can also to be a major benefit when it comes to eating habits.
3. Get good rest.
I know I’m the biggest hypocrite when it comes to talking about sleeping, but it is important to get a good nights rest. It’s the time your body recovers from all the damage you’ve done.
4. Take care of YOURSELF
No one is going to tell you what YOU need to do. You have to take the initiative to take care of yourself. In my situation, I can’t depend on my parents or teammates to get me in the gym, to eat right, or to sleep more. Those days are gone! It’s up to you. Take hold of the situation you’re in and become aware of the things you need.
I believed I was going to be able to do these things once volleyball ended because I lived a pretty disciplined life (or so I thought).
But once it all ended, I began to feel sorry for myself and made excuses. It’s easy to fall into this trap and it’s easier to stay there, but to become the independent person that holds myself accountable like I used to…I have to fake it till I become it.
“Paradigm Shift as a change from one way of thinking to another. It's a revolution, a transformation, a sort of metamorphosis. It just does not happen, but rather it is driven by agents of change…. YOU!” - webster's dictionary
