Think of your favourite film.
(Can be a guilty pleasure..mine is Moulin
Rouge!)
Usually the storyline is a Hero/ Heroine's Journey; nearly dead and poor, fighting the odds to end up beating the bad guys and ruling the world.
Think about the moments in a film you love where you are really touched by some sort of emotion. Remember that feeling of emotion when watching this sets you on the edge of your
seat?
You may notice something else...
Try to remember the backdrop, what other characters are in the scene and what is said...as many details as possible.
Compare this to the rest of the film and I'll bet that you can recall MORE from the emotional, funny or downright rude scenes than the
rest of the film?
This is because when we add emotion to visual and auditory stimuli, our brains are far more likely to shunt an incredible amount of detail into our subconscious and long term memory.
This is also the same with those special times in your life (wedding, first kiss, signing up to these emails etc)
We can use this on our fitness journey.
Think through your goals, what does success look like to you?
Now:
- power up your imagination
- write down as much detail as you can about how it will feel to reach your
goal
- now read OUT LOUD what you have written
- Imagine who will be there to 'high five' you. Picture their proud smiling faces
- any music playing?
- is the sun shining?
- any 'nay-sayers' that didn't believe you there so you can show them who is boss?
Go to town on the emotion, talk to yourself and stomp about!
Writing things down, reading it out loud and really feeling the moment activates all our learning modalities and enhances the memory.
For example,
a huge one for me was imagining myself at the front of a boot camp encouraging a large group of people do some exercises. Back then this was way outside my confidence levels. I was the wrong type of 135kg and only just contemplating becoming a PT.
I didn't realise at the time, however when I came to the point when I found myself in this situation for real it was easier. As far as my subconscious was aware, I had already done
it!
(When I found myself in front of 30 kids to coach them Rugby last year for a new venture this didn't help at all...this was terrifying!)
Our bodies and minds will head where we lead them, why waste time going down the wrong path?
Become the hero of your
own dreams and get emotions into it.
Find your own 'calling' and take choice out of it by having a subconscious that is already convinced you are the person you want to be.
When you get there...do it all again with bigger goals.
Show up and be the hero or heroine.....not a
supporting role!
J
