There isn’t much you can directly control in life. External things such as the weather, your work and your relationships are out of your control. Internally illness, how well you slept and your mood are again beyond direct control (arguably you can do things to minimise or maximise these parts of your life but there is no way to directly control them).
However, there are several things you can 100% control in relation to your health and wellbeing. Things you can make conscious decisions over that will directly improve or hinder your fitness.
Your nutrition is the big one and arguably the easiest – taking control of what goes into your body is solely down to you. No one else can dictate what you eat or the choices you make around fuelling yourself. Having solid nutrition is guaranteed to have a large and positive impact on your health and fitness.
Our effort level is also solely in our control. Life can affect the times we train and its frequency but it can’t control our effort levels. Once the workout has started how much effort you put in is entirely down to you. You can be tired, you can be grumpy, you can be ‘not in the mood’ but the level of effort you put in is still directly under your control.
The most important thing we have complete control over is our outlook. A positive outlook on everything life offers is crucial to succeeding day to day and particularly in the gym. Approaching a barbell doubting you can lift it will make it feel 10kg heavier and starting a WOD telling yourself you won’t finish in the time cap will guarantee you won’t. Taking a positive stance towards your fitness and having some self-belief will not only improve your performance in the box but will no doubt help you at work, at home and in life in general!
The vast majority of us spend time worrying over and complaining about things that are way beyond our control. This will only lead us to feeling down, frustrated or maybe even angry. Change tactics, spend time focusing on the things you have power over and bring some control back into your life. I promise you it will be beneficial.