What if you stopped thinking about what you can’t do?
What if you started leaving the door open to more possibilities?
I can’t do that, yet. I’ve never tried to do that. I’ve never seen someone like me do that…
When you stop thinking about everything you can’t do, the world is your oyster.
We’re revisiting this idea today and will probably continue to revisit it until I’ve corrected my life algorithm and stop seeing people counting themselves out on the daily.
Adding the Word YET
As coaches, I think that one of the best words we can add to our repertoire is YET. You can’t run that speed, yet. You can’t run that distance, yet. You can’t consume that many calories in an hour, yet.
You haven’t trained. You haven’t tried. You haven’t built that muscle. So you can’t do it yet! Keep going. Keep trying. That’s the fun in training. That’s the fun in growing up. There are a million things you haven’t done yet, so let’s keep showing up each day and checking new things off. Remember what it’s like to dream. Remember what it’s like to use your imagination. What would you do and where would you go if you only thought about what you haven’t done yet and you stopped thinking about limitations.
I’ve Never Seen You Fail
When I was younger, my family was huge into bowling and I used to make all of my money keeping score at the bowling alley. There was a guy who often encouraged people by saying “I’ve never seen you miss that shot.” It seemed so odd at the time but now it’s one of my favorite things to say and tell people. No, he’d never seen you make the shot either but that didn’t mean it couldn’t be done.
You don’t know if you can fly because you’ve never tried. I don’t know if you can fly because I’ve never seen you try to fly and be unsuccessful. I’ve never seen you unsuccessfully attempt a 10:00 min mile. I’ve never seen you DNF that race. I’ve never seen you die of embarrassment and I’m pretty sure I never will.
Imagining the Best
It’s easy for some athletes to think about worst case scenarios but have you practiced thinking about the best case? Have you even considered once what might happen if everything goes your way? There’s a saying that I keep in my head from a sign we used to have up in our house. “It’s better to be prepared and not have the opportunity than to have the opportunity and not be prepared.”
If you put your name into a race lottery without considering what it’s actually going to take to get you to that race, you’re not thinking “best case scenario.” If you show up for a race having only prepared for the things that can go wrong, you haven’t given yourself the opportunity to race to the fullness of your ability. If you turn down every invitation you receive to check out a new group or run in a new space, you’re denying yourself the opportunity to grow to your full potential.
I’m not telling you to dip your toes into the toxic positivity wasteland. I’m just telling you to give your brain and body the opportunity to do the best that you can do. Apply for the job. Ask the person on a date. Buy the dress. Take the time to work through best case scenarios more often than you give yourself the opportunities to stress over the things that can go wrong.
Become the Example
For many of us, showing up is the first hard step because no one else that looks like us has been there. That’s ok. You may not have the perfect example to follow but best case scenario says you could become the example for someone else. I know it’s not fair. It’s a heavy burden to carry but that’s why we strength train. YOU are strong enough to carry the load if you tell yourself you’re strong enough. And you can choose to surround yourself with enough people to help you carry the loads you can’t carry on your own. When I show up in spaces that scare me, I remind myself that I may be the first one HERE, but I’m not the first one ever. When I complete a race at the back of the pack, having spent plenty of time out there by myself, I remind myself that I’m leaving footprints for other people to follow. Hopefully it won’t be so lonely next time because someone will see that we’re out here and that will give them permission to join us.
I keep showing up because I want to make it easier for you to show up. I coach high-achieving women to find their place in a fitness world that often feels like it was made for everyone else. I want to remind you that you’re not alone. You may feel isolated at times but there are communities just waiting to welcome you and help you start imagining new best case scenarios.
So grab a pen and paper and give yourself the opportunity to dream a little more. Then come back here and share a few things with us. We can’t cheer you on if you keep all of the best case scenarios to yourself.
All the love,
Coach Sabrina
IG: CoachSabrinaL
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