I’m only 1200 yards in! I thought to myself. If I had spoken out loud I would’ve taken a lot of water into my mouth. I was fairly certain that, by the time I got to the point I had been sighting in the water (a small point jutting out into the reservoir), I’d be about 2,000 yards into my 5,200-yard swim. Needless to say I lost a little bit of steam at that moment.
Taking a deep breath, I set my sights on the rocky cliff wall I could see further across the water. That has got to give me at least 2000 yards, I thought, my determination wavering a bit. My stroke lost a little of it’s steam from the disappointment of knowing just how far I still had to go. I was looking to do a 5K, which would be at least a mile longer than I’ve ever swum before.
I got about 10 feet from the rock wall, took a sip of water and checked my watch. 2,300 yards. Yes! All of the sudden I had strength again. I could feel the hard stroke that I was taking towards the next big rock that I was now sighting. I felt like I was moving like a machine. I was in good spirits and hadn\’t even eaten anything yet. Once I got close enough to the rock I checked my watch again. Almost 3,000 yards. This was damn close to two miles.
By now I had covered a great deal of the reservoir, had swum farther than I’d ever done, and I knew I still had at least 1.2 miles to go. Well, my mental game began to suffer along with my stroke. That machine I had felt like for the last twenty minutes was slowly sinking into the water. I felt rusty. Full-body tired. I sighted the public beach. I decided that when I drew level with a dock that preceded the beach I’d allow myself to check my watch again. 4,200 yards. My strength and good nature flooded back, I only had about 1,000 meters to go and I realized that I was actually going to reach my goal!
Many of us know the back-and-forth of “emotional yo-yoing”. It’s not as if one moment I’m strong as a bull and the next moment my shoulders are made of spaghetti. How I think determines how I feel, and the better we feel, the better we perform. Whether it’s presenting ourselves in that job interview, trying to be the best parents we can for our kids, or maybe pushing in that last mile of a race, our thoughts about ‘how we’re doing’ determines those all important feelings. In turn, our feelings give meaning to our emotions, that energy in motion in our body that’s allowing us to take the actions that we need to keep going after the goals that are so important to us.
Throughout my swim, I was allowing my watch, with its GPS, to dictate the way I was thinking. This is too far, I thought. I should be further along. How am I going to be able to make this if I’m only at X distance at this point? Many of us have thoughts like this, creating feelings that deplete our energy physically mentally and emotionally.
Here are a few effective tools that can help you keep your energy, stay focused on the task at hand, and keep a strong positive outlook for the best possible outcome as you go after the goals that are so important to you!
Know that the roller coaster will be at the amusement park – Every park has it’s coaster, and every challenge that you choose to take on will come with the uncertainty, doubt, and anxiousness of taking on something new. Knowing that the emotional ups and downs are going to be there whenever you try something challenging, or try and grow puts you a step ahead. Whatever challenge you face, whether sought out by you or one that is brought to your doorstep, knowing uncomfortable emotions will be a part of it allows you to start “rolling mental film,” creating thoughts that give you the feelings you want, so you can get a head start on creating your best emotional state (or at least a level playing field) before the going gets tough and the challenge gets underway!
Your Inner Critic loves fatigue, so bring in your coach, “The Coach” – When we’re fatigued, our inner critic shows up; that voice in our heads that tells us we’re not good enough, gives us criticism that’s not constructive, and ends up making us feel worse than we did before we ever get started. It’s hard to battle this in the middle of a lake, a job interview, or any of life‘s great difficulties or challenges that we take on. When fatigue sets in, silence that inner critic by simply saying, Stop! Then, think about that one person in your life that would give you constructive criticism, positive feedback, and motivating words to keep you centered and moving forward towards your goals. Call that person’s voice to mind and really hear what they would be saying to you. Feel the emotions those words evoke and allow that to fuel the emotions that will help you get to the other side of that fatigue and continue to pursue your goals.
Expect the emotional roller coaster when you are striving after your goal. Know it is coming. Welcome all of the information it gives you, because, really, it’s all useful. And, when you get tired (because you will) and that inner critic ‘comes calling’ to make sure you know you are in way over your head, call in your internal coach! Borrow it’s perspective. Listen to it’s constructive criticism, and allow it to motivate you to find that performance that you know you have within you! Allow it to create the feelings that will drive your efforts and fuel your body and mind towards the things you want to achieve.
I can tell you as I battled the water, fatigue, and my own self-doubt, I knew I wasn’t battling it alone. My internal coach was there with me, breaking the swim down into smaller increments, creating the confidence and self-assurance I needed to push through the physical fatigue and complete my 5k. I’d love to hear about a recent bout you’ve fought and overcome to achieve (or at least made progress towards) a goal. Post your experience in the comments below.
If you would like help lessening your fear and anxiety, reaching your goals, breaking habits, or creating new ones, I’d love to work with you. Just click the button or the link below for a free consultation and let’s talk.
