In my life, I’ve had many experiences that shaped my belief in the power of the mind and the mind-body connection.  I have achieved success in all of these areas due to hard work, dedication, and believing in myself and my abilities.  Setting high goals and truly believing that you are capable of them not only will lead to an intriguing journey but also to success!  I have done workouts and performed at a level that at one time seemed like just a dream.  I put into action a plan geared toward achieving those goals/dreams, one of which was to become a pro triathlete, and truly believed that I would be able to push my body to new limits and get fast enough to achieve this.  When race day came to test this, I believed in myself and my ability to push. Sure enough, I ran down the girls ahead of me to win and earn my pro card. So, what does this mean for you?

The mind is a powerful tool.  All of my clients know that I believe in the power of the mind and its connection with the body. My motto is The body achieves what the mind believes. My clients often hear me talk about PMA-Positive Mental Attitude.  When you believe in yourself, you are more likely to achieve your goals and staying positive generally helps to reach your next goal more quickly and smoothly.  Likewise, a negative attitude also earns you what you expect-more negativity and lack of achievement.

You can test out the power of positive thinking and its connection with the body next time you are at the gym.  When you pick up those dumbbells, tell yourself you can do it! Tell yourself that you can PR (Personal Record/Best).  If you truly believe these thoughts, you will achieve them.  Pick up those same dumbbells and think “Man, these are heavy.”  See how many repetitions you do.  You are more likely to do fewer when you go into it with that negative mentality. It’s not 100% guaranteed to work every single time, but thinking positive things about your body and your abilities will usually get you farther than having self-doubts or a negative outlook. This can be applied to all areas of life, where positive self-talk and a positive mindset yields positive results.  So, get out there and tell yourself “I can do this!” and believe in it and you WILL do it!

Jenni Plane is an Ironman Certified Coach, Seven-time Ironman and former pro triathlete.  She coaches triathletes out of Sacramento, California and welcomes any questions you might have. Contact Jenni directly here.