The Mindset of Fitness

Community over competition. Faith over doubt. Confidence over insecurity. Bravery over fear. Team over self. Vision over blindness. Both/and over either/or. There is no one right way and the truer we are to ourselves and each other, the more likely we will align with the things that are for us in the end.

We believe that fitness and movement are both key elements in any human’s health and wellness plan. Fitness has been proven to be essential in generating longevity, quality mental health, and even preventing disease. With this in mind, us folks at POSE are brainstorming ways to engage anyone who sees fitness as a core element of their personal health journey. We are aiming at creating an approachable space that welcomes in individuals of any background and experience level to gain from the benefits of an integrated fitness lifestyle. 

As we are developing this community, we run into core topics that yield a holistic fitness and wellness mindset. When we meet someone who is in shape, what characteristics do we assume about them? What does having a fit body and mind indicate about an individual and what skills have they needed to develop to get in such good shape? 

The following list is just a few things that we at POSE have observed in those we look up to in the fitness and wellness industry. 

Community

So many of us have felt isolation at some point in our lives. It can be lonely, it can be tiresome, and most of all discouraging. It can be hard to bear the burden of our lives on our own without anyone to turn to. One of the things that is different about the fitness community is that we don’t like to see people stuck off on their own. We welcome people of every shape, size, background, and experience into an environment that will meet them where they are, support them where they need it, and push them to be better individuals as a part of the group. With community, no one of us has to carry our load alone. We can all collaborate, cooperate, and grow together.

Challenge

Diamonds are made under pressure. Similarly, growth cannot occur without overcoming friction and resistance. Heck, fitness is rife with challenge after challenge in the same way as building business. Nothing good was developed without challenges. So many times we hear “thats too hard or too risky, you might as well just settle for something basic and be comfortable.” Here’s the secret we don’t often hear… the more and greater challenges we overcome, the more suited we become to face the next and the more capable we will be to handle harder challenges. In fitness, in business, and in life, there will never be a shortage of challenges. Nobody is perfect, but we all posses the capability to become continuously better. Let’s work together to push each other to be the best we can be. 

Discipline

Whether it’s the military, martial arts, fitness, journaling, dieting and nutrition, or anything else worthwhile, consistency is key in making progress to our goals. The concept of “never breaking the chain” has been used in several publications and simply put means that we ought to keep the consistency going as long as possible without missing one day. We definitely don’t want to miss more than one day. At first, discipline can seem like a long list of things that we may not want to do, but when we align the list of things to do with a vision (see below) of where we want to be, we can reverse engineer our goals to day to day behaviors and habits that nearly guarantee our success. In life it is easy to focus on all of the reasons why we “can’t” or “shouldn’t,” but why not instead ask the question “how might we?” This angle allows us to see through the “why nots” focus on the “why” and accomplish our goals.

Vision

As ambitious, driven, persistent, and giving individuals, it is easy to put our heads down towards a goal. That being said, setting good goals is a skill in and of itself. Some goals can be misaligned with where we really want to go or who we really want to be and it is important to set specific and actionable goals that are measurable and can be met in a reasonable manner. A great man by the name of JD Orr once told me; “know the end from the beginning.” This is the concept of reverse engineering our future. If we can take time to sit down and specifically define where we want to go it is much easier to understand how to get there. WRITE IT DOWN ON ACTUAL PAPER! This is not an option. It’s well known that goals are 80% more likely to be accomplished if they are physically written by hand. It has something to do with the neural connection of taking action. First, start by visualizing the end state, then estimate the steps it takes to get to where you want to go. Each step back should be incremental enough that it gets us to the next. We then write steps down in reverse until we get to where we are today. Once these are in place, the biggest challenge becomes staying on the plan and being disciplined enough to put the work in. Remember though that plans are made to be adaptable. Each step in the path needs to be just enough to know the next step. Sometimes an extra and unexpected step will come out of nowhere and accelerate the journey. Do not miss an opportunity by being too strict to the plan. Have faith (see below) that as we take action towards our goals, we will unexpectedly and naturally attract people and opportunities that can collaborate with us to enhance the process for the better.  

Faith

What is faith?… trust?…belief? 

We would define faith as the understanding that there are forces in the universe that are bigger than ourselves working toward the greater good. Sometimes faith leans towards the religious, but faith is also a general skill or characteristic that we can possess to help us get to our goal. Faith is the ability to look at our busy and sometimes hectic day to day lives with the trust that things are moving in the right direction amidst the chaos. Faith gives us the opportunity to remove doubt, fear, worry, and guilt from our minds and trust that no matter how off things may seem, there is still a path forward and still a chance to improve for the better. Faith is based on hope for the future, not fear of repercussions from the past. It gives us freedom to move towards our goals with gusto and enthusiasm. It gives us the opportunity to correct our mistakes and adjust our course for the better. We can have faith in ourselves, faith in our friends, and faith in our communities. A group environment of faith can move mountains and do much more than one individual can on their own. 

So why not build faith into our hearts, relationships, and environment so that we can all lift each other up for good? 

Commitment & Persistence

Physically fit people are often some of the most committed people on the planet. The thing about getting in shape is that there is no shortcut, no corners to cut, and no one size fits all approach. It takes time to listen to our bodies and deeply understand what they need to improve. Some people need the weights, some people need mobility, some need a good diet. Either way, the results we seek will require persistence and commitment. Nobody will ever be perfect. The idea of perfection itself is often hazy. What matters is that we continuously show up end over end to work on the things that we care about most. 

Commitment and persistence are heavily applicable in the gym, but are also required to build the lives that we want to live. They both often require sacrifice. Not every day will be easy, but if we can find it in our selves to put in the work even when we don’t feel like it, how much easier will it become when those behaviors establish themselves into routine and integrated habit? Cheap thrill and instant gratification absolutely will distract from the goal. We need to adopt a long term mindset, integrate our vision of where and how, and consistently act with the end in mind. 

Teamwork

Each of the above characteristics are great when applied to ourselves. We live in a world that encourages the strength of the individual and the importance of focusing on ourselves, but let us not forget the value of creating alignment and unity with other people in our lives. A single drop of water will dry up in a second, but a river will eventually move anything in its path. In a similar way, our relationships, alliances, friendships, and partnerships can exponentially increase the impact of our actions. The ability to coordinate with others and all push in the same direction will have the power to lift each individual up to be the best version of themself. Everyone will change and grow for the better, especially when we have each others’ back. 

Enjoying the Process

Most importantly, we have to love what we do. Not everybody gets this opportunity in their lives, so if we do, we ought to be forever grateful. We are all called to be different people in our lives and the best way to make progress is to first understand who we are and where we want to go, then align ourselves with other like minded people.  The power of loving what we do amplifies our skillset and adds passion to the energy that we can put into our work. Work without passion is just a job. Passion without work is a hobby. But put passion together with the above characteristics, and thats a calling. The more we can be aligned with our calling, the more consistency and momentum we can generate towards the future and impact that we hope to build. Short journeys have small, instant gratification, but long journeys will be rewarding for our whole life and will provide key growth milestones to look back on and build confidence in. A sturdy foundation of accomplishments built up through a passion for the work instead of the outcome will lead to progress, credibility, and a deeper level of gratification than any short term focus. Trust the process, put our hearts into each and every step, be ourselves as authentically as we can, an just watch what will happen. 

If you made it this far, thank you for your time. Welcome to the POSE community, and please feel free to reach out if you think you would benefit from being involved in what we are doing. 

We are here for you. 

Onward and upward with the end in mind.