Embracing your underdog superpower
“There’s always another level with your name on it”, Dr Elizabeth Gilbert
OR
Sometimes wellness looks like not comparing your real life to someone’s highlight reel and showing yourself some grace instead, Dr Will Cole
Introduction
So which is it: push yourself for more or give yourself grace?!
Social media teaches us to feel ‘not good enough’, to do more more more and to compare ourselves to others. Yet other times we’re told our best comparison is to ourselves (through my own efforts as well as that of clients’, I’ve come to realize that even that comparison to ourselves needs a minor adjustment, which is what this article is all about).
There’s one thing we can all agree on: everyone loves the handiwork of the underdog! And so to my daily movement self assessment I add a pinch of underestimating myself. Which doesn’t sound like a big motivation sensation, but hear me out, try it for yourself and let me know how you go?
Daily self assessment
There’s no denying that your PB (personal best) still stands and for all time. Look at it often, relish it. But also rest assured that that may not be today. Good if it was obviously but just in case, keep in there for safe keeping.
Today is today and each day we get to decide how we feel, and how we want to feel just for today. It’s a daily self assessment.
Start where you are with what you’ve got: today, right now, your own body. Roll your wrists and ankles, elbows and knees, shake your hips, bend as slowly forward as you can and touch your toes or as near as you can. That’s pretty basic but you’ve covered pretty much your whole body. As you go through it again and again each day for this week, try adding in some twists and teensy backbends, some slides and opposites. Experiment. You know you better than anyone, and if not, you get to spend your whole life with you so you may as well get acquainted.
How do you feel today? Not how did you feel yesterday or how did you feel when you felt your best, or worst, it’s not tomorrow or when you’ve lost all the weight or gained your goals to lift that 1RM. Today it’s just you vs you, right here right now. Or now. Or what about now?
Underdog superpowers
If you’re struggling with motivation, particularly exercise motivation, you're going to love this idea. You know those times (too well!) when you find yourself getting super excited about just how much you’re going to do. You book in all the classes, each day, you even buy new activewear. And then it lasts for about a week before you start to wean off and then one day you think to yourself, oh I haven’t exercised in months!
So if that’s happening to you try this one thing: underestimate your abilities.
Which doesn’t sound much of a motivational chat. But I’ve had to do it for myself. I get super excited about stuff. And I’m one of those who is so going to book into every session, every single day and go hard for a while.
But then you fall off the wagon. And feel bad, guilty, that you’ve let myself down. And the problem with this is it reinforces a lack of self trust and it almost starts to chip away at the trust you have in yourself to be committed to something - particularly committed to exercise - which is hard enough anyway.
When you start to attach a narrative to it like:
“I’m not good at exercise”
“I’m not good at sticking with things”
“Clearly I’m a failure at this”
“Maybe I don’t want it enough”
Then you pick up social media.“Wha???!!!” Everyone else seems to be able to do it. What’s wrong with me?” You’re stuck in a negative feedback loop.
And so try underestimating yourself. For a month.
Instead of doing a session every day, just try to stick to two sessions a week. Or maybe even underestimate your abilities even more and try for just once a week. Though, there’s a caveat: it is non-negotiable. It’s time to prove to yourself that you’re capable of doing this one thing. Now.
Then, after, you can see in front of you, “alright I’ve proved myself capable of this, and I can see in my diary where I’m capable of doing more… What can I add, this one little thing?”
If you go too hard and you lose that self trust, it’s way more damaging than just having a period of time where you underestimate your ability and your commitment, and instead build back that self trust.
Give it a go.
To do today
Start! Today. Right now.
How do you feel?
Do a physical self assessment - the one above is super simple
Write your underestimation schedule for your exercise - 2x or 1x a week for a month - in your calendar.
Do it this week. And next. And the next and the last week of the month. Non-negotiable
Congratulate yourself. You’ve proven you’re capable of this.
Do it again. Consistency is self trust in action.
“You can practice anything erratically, but nothing consistently without courage” (Maya Angelou) so go forth with courage!
