Control the Controllable's #westandtogether

Good morning and happy Monday lovely humans!

Alright ladies and gentlemen, here we go. In this current time of incredible chaos and uncertainty, I think it is about time we talk in-depth about what we all talk about at a surface level, often. "Controlling the Controlllable's".

I don't know about all of you but I feel high anxiety everywhere I go right now. And let's be real it is NOT easy to figure out how to navigate those feelings or your current surroundings.

What tends to happen when we feel anxious and high stress is we tend to revert back to feelings of instant gratification and "comfort," I.E., excess food and drink and moving our bodies at the gym falls to the wayside ... especially in the current climate. Focusing on staying hydrated and getting quality consistent sleep seem less important, does this sound about right? Throwing in the towel... where does that get any of us? NOWHERE GOOD. If we do not FEEL good, everything else around us suffers. YOu all know this however it is easier said than done of course. BUT its real talk!

So let us talk about how staying focused on your five pillars, remaining in your own lane (if you will), will actually allow you to feel at ease and in control during these times where everything else feels completely out of our control.

There are only two things in this world that we have 100% control over, 100% of the time:

1. Our effort

2. Our attitude

Coming to this epiphany was a tough pill for me to swallow at first ya'll, as I’ve always skewed a tad toward being a control freak! But it’s true. Our own effort and our own attitude are all we have full control of. Granted, we can dictate our mindset, enthusiasm, and preparation, but they are simply another form of effort and attitude.

Spending our time, focus, and energy on things outside of our control is simply a poor use of resources. You literally have zero control over your boss, co-workers, employees, colleagues, customers, spouse, friends, or your children. Zero. So why would you waste your mental, emotional, and physical currency on something you have zero control over, instead of investing into the two things you CAN control? You can absolutely impact and influence many of the events and people in your life, but you do not control their behavior, their decisions, or the outcome.

I remember my mom telling me as a kid, “You don’t control what other people do or say, but you do control how you respond and react.” As a very involved coach and nutritionist, I have said this exact statement, verbatim, too many on countless occasions. Why? Because it’s 100% true! And it’s not only true for children, but it’s also true for all of us.

Learning how to control the controllables is imperative to living a life with a full cup (ready to handle any challenges thrown at you). When you double down on your effort and attitude, everything else improves. When things you don’t control distract you, your cup drains and YOU suffer. Sounds like common sense, right? Well, common sense is very rarely common practice!

Let’s take a closer look at effort. Most people readily acknowledge that giving a great effort is a choice. When they work hard, they smile because they chose to work hard. It was their decision. Well, by default, if working hard is a choice, then not working hard is also a choice. It’s the other side of the coin. But what happens when most people choose not to give their best effort? Do they own it? No! They make excuses. Excuses like “I wasn’t feeling well” or “I didn’t get enough sleep” come up. And while these things may be true – even valid – it was still their conscious choice not to give their best effort to that arena! You may not have 100% in the tank, but you and only you choose whether or not to give 100% of what you do have.

Now let’s examine attitude. We don’t control the vast majority of what goes on in our world, but we absolutely control how we react to it. I choose to view everything that happens to us as feedback. And our attitude towards this feedback directly influences our happiness, fulfillment, confidence, and outlook on life.

Sleep consistency, proper hydration, nutrient quality, and quantity, moving our bodies and how we handle stress WE. CAN. CONTROL. We just need to own it and make it happen!

Remember, when in doubt, revert back to your WHY. Why did you embark on this journey in the first place? The honest answer to this question will always lead you back to where you need to be if feelings of stress, anxiousness or self-doubt creep in. I promise.

I love you ALL very much! I am forever in your corner.

Always,

Coach B