Work Wednesdays

WW: No Worries, Just Keep Working Hard

Meeting your own goals is all you should be thinking about when you’re feeling awkward trying to figure out how the machine at the gym works or what the letters on the side of the book shelves mean at the library. I think we all need to remind ourselves about how something so simple can make us terrified and not to give it the attention it seeks. So what if it’s your first time picking up a dumbbell and you feel like an ant next to all the gorillas in the room (no implication, just a size comparison). If you stop yourself based on how you think people are feeling then you will never be one of those gorillas. Okay I know I can come up with a better way to help you visualize that but my point is, get out of your own head! Be courageous enough to tell yourself to get over it and move forward. Start feeling comfortable asking questions about the equipment and how to use it. I know sometimes you don’t want to bother someone who is in the zone but you can always as someone who is either working at the gym or someone doing a quick cool down.

Okay now I want to discuss familiar faces…yes the guy or girl you always see because they have the exact same gym schedule as you do. This shouldn’t be a problem but somehow it is. Familiar faces can be a good thing most of the time but sometimes it can be intimidating because the fact that you noticed them, means they probably noticed you too…well not necessary. Remember that “in the zone” thing I was talking about, well they are probably less worried about you and more worried about getting a good workout in. Now that we got that anxious feeling out of the way and we know there is nothing that can stop us, let’s confidently change for the better!

Work Wednesday: Be Your Own Inspiration...With A Little Help!

   We are officially 6 months into the year, this calls for some serious self-reflection!

   Our first Work Wednesday will consist of working on ourselves. Reflections are the most important way to track your progress! Depending on how serious you are about improving your life, you need to be honest with yourself. Often times, we just need some one on one time with ourselves. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to reveal the underlining truth. You can also email your responses to me at dnaseem11@gmail.com and I can give you my reflection based on your answers. I do not claim to be an expert but I do know quite a bit about being confident and allowing yourself to change what you don't want and grow on what you love about yourself. I studied counseling/social change and sociology in college and hope I can take what I learned about people and how they interact/communicate and combine it with my own life experience to help identify your main dilemmas and begin to break away from the things that are holding you back.

   These questions are to help you identify what you feel needs the most improvement and for me to help you in the best way I can. I will ask a general question and provide a description that will help you understand why it is important to identify these things. Some questions are a description in themselves so there's no need for me to put an add-on. With that said, let’s get started!

1) What is your favorite physical feature? (It is important to focus on the good because it allows you to identify a starting point to begin building your confidence...I've always said it is easier to finish a paper once you are satisfied with the topic sentence).

2) What is your least favorite physical feature? (This is not based on what you think other people find unappealing, it is your own thoughts on your least favorite feature...so look deep within).

3) Why do you think your confidence isn't where you want it to be? Is it solely based on your inner feelings or are there outside factors that come into play? (Think hard about why you aren't happy with your current self).

4) Do you think you can be where you want to be and maintain a newly found confidence? (This question is to get an idea of how committed you are in the process). 

5) Are you comfortable with what you identify as in terms of sexual orientation?  (If you can identify this in less than 2 seconds, it proves a certain level confidence and shows that you are sure about who you are).

6) I want you to think hard about what your deepest desires are. What do you crave and want to unleash during this process? 

7) Let’s talk emotions! Are you allowing emotions to control you? In other terms, are you an "emotional do-er"; do you eat based on how you're feeling, do you make decisions based on emotions or act out because your heart is taking over rather than your brain?

8) List your 6 month goals. Make sure they are obtainable and realistic goals. You do not want to set a bar too high for yourself because realistically, you will disappoint yourself thinking it is never possible to achieve anything if you don't meet one of these goals. I believe anyone can accomplish anything in a short period of time if they commit to it. However, I want you to be honest with yourself and make sure that once you have these goals written down, you will commit 100% to achieving them in the time period you set. After writing these goals down in FULL descriptive detail (for instance, if it's a weight goal I want you to put your current weight along with your desired weight and include what you will do to get there), how will it feel if you accomplished each and every one of these goals? Also, what are some of the perceived obstacles you think will keep you from accomplishing these goals?  Yes, this question will take some time but it is well worth it.

9) DUN DUN DUN! Religion. It is a touchy subject but something that greatly contributes to your confidence because it is how you define a big part of yourself. This question can either be really simple to answer or it can stop you dead in your tracks. What religion do you identify with? If none, then just say what your general beliefs are (eg: if you are a spiritual person or you never paid any mind to a certain believe, explain this). And finally, if you have always believed something but aren't sure about it anymore, talk about your relationship with God or why you no longer feel committed to the religion. This is important to understand because it is part of an uncertainty or certainty in your life. In my experience, being unsure about how to identify something in your life throws you completely off balance and you begin to question other areas in your life which causes you to see what isn't there. As a result, you begin to lose confidence in yourself.

10) Borrowing the idea from an intelligent mind Patti Dobrowolski, we will now become artists...so to speak. Here is an exercise that will ensure some visual motivation. I want you to draw what you are currently feeling. Draw the things you are unhappy about in your life (this doesn't have to be perfect, STICK FIGURES ARE ALLOWED). Take a look at the results and put it off to the side. Now draw what your dream life looks like in your mind; draw out everything you want to see happen in your life with great detail. This picture will motivate you in more ways than one. It will help you visualize your goals and motivate you to pursue them. Look at the pictures side by side, are you prepared to make these great improvements in your life? Are you prepared for a journey that will change your life!? (If you want to watch Patti Dobrowolski's Ted talk as inspiration just type this into YouTube: "Draw your future Patti Dobrowolski TEDxRainier" or click this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zESeeaFDVSw ).

**I would love to see some of these pictures! 

   I hope this exercise can help you uncover what is stopping you from enjoying the new you! If anything, it will get you thinking about what it is that you really want for yourself and your life.