5 Ways to Stay Disciplined
Last night I was in bed trying to fall asleep. But mostly I was just staring at the ceiling listening to my stomach growl. Benji was in the kitchen eating McDonald’s. I was a bit cranky. But mostly just hungry. To be honest, McDonald’s is rarely a cheat of choice. In fact, I can’t tell you the last time I had it.
I kept saying I was never going to fall asleep because of how hungry I was. (Now, for anybody not familiar with my situation, I should clarify. I’m prepping for a bodybuilding show so I’m on a very strict diet with a very tight timeline. If this were not the case, I wouldn’t overthink being this hungry and I’d just have a small healthy snack. That is not an option for a few weeks.) I told myself I could have a bite or two of chicken and it would be fine. A little extra protein isn’t going to break my progress. But then I remembered that that’s not the mentality the overall winner would have. I was doing my check-ins in the morning and I needed them to be where I currently was after following my plan. I pay a lot of money to a coach for a detailed plan. And nowhere on that plan does it say, “if you can’t sleep go ahead and have a snack. It’s cool.”
I had to dig deep and find my self-discipline. These are my steps when I’m feeling weak. And this doesn’t just apply to when you’re hungry and want a snack. This is for any moment when you have a set goal and are suddenly feeling the need to deviate from that plan.
Take a few deep breaths. Just stop and breathe for a minute. Give your emotions a chance to calm down and allow the stress hormones to chill out. Immediately responding to the high energy emotions and frustrations can lead to regrettable decisions. Just stop, breathe, and reset.
Ask yourself if this impulse is worth the setback. Is it worth the risk? Will it leave you with a feeling of regret? Will it ultimately lead to feeling worse about the situation than the current frustrations of wanting it? For me, I had to ask if that extra bit of food was worth the added calories? Or was it worth the risk of weakening my mindset and risking a bigger meltdown later?
Remember what you’re ultimately after. I’m not competing just to get on stage and be proud. Don’t get me wrong, my opinion of myself and my progress is truly all the matters. I don’t feel less of a person if I don’t bring home the placing I want. But I’m in it to win it. I want to stand on stage and know that I gave it 100% the entire time. There is nothing worse than not being the best and knowing you did things that could have resulted in the loss. If I give it everything I have and complete dedication and I bring home second, I’m ok with that. I can be proud and have no regrets. So remember what it is you really want and make that the focus.
Change your focus altogether. Maybe spending time focusing on what the discipline gets you just brings you back to thinking of the thing you currently want. Try thinking of something completely different. Sometimes I try to walk through my routine and imagine going through my poses and call-outs and finals. But by the end of it I find I’m back to fantasizing about the post-show meal and I’m back to where I was. So I have to change focus completely. I like to shift my focus to the business. I focus on my to-do list for the week. Or I spend my mental energy on thinking through house projects. We’re currently doing some projects and considering putting the house for sale. So there’s always something to be thinking through there. Before long I’ve forgotten that I’m hungry and eventually get so tired I fall asleep.
Rely on the habits. Bodybuilders are unique in that we tend to do the same thing day after day. There are changes as we go through prep and we have different seasons. But generally, it’s a wash, rinse, repeat lifestyle. So sometimes when I feel a moment of weakness coming on, I just focus on the things I do every day and remember this deviation isn’t part of those habits.
There is one other piece of advice I have to give myself. I didn’t include it in my list because it tends to be more for the bodybuilding life. The great coach Shelby Starnes often says, “embrace the suck.” Sometimes you have to just dig deep and enjoy the process of putting yourself through the painful journey. When it comes to being hungry because we’re trying to diet down to a certain level, we have to remember that we’ve made the choice to do this and it’s on us to follow through.
I hope the next time you find yourself feeling weak and wanting to give in to some kind of temptation, you’ll apply these tips and be able to stay true to your goal.
