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Today’s show was inspired by an interview I heard with Rick Hanson on The Art Of Charm podcast.

I talk a lot about confidence or as I prefer, self certainty.

In fact if I had to pick the ONE thing to do to ensure you achieve your body gain goal it’d be:

To Have Certainty In YOU and Back Yourself 100%. 

Today, I want to really dig in with a few simple daily practices to:

Develop A Confident Brain.

Let’s start with the default at which our human brain is set and to which it’ll naturally gravitate.

As Rick puts it – naturally – our brain is like Teflon for good experiences and Velcro for bad experiences.

This served a purpose back in the day. When life and death really did mean just that, I’m sure it would’ve been great to remember that river had crocodiles or that berry was poisonous.

To a degree we needed the bad to stick.

However now, in a week where perhaps you ate 19 great meals and 2 rubbish meals it’s not helpful that the thing that sticks in your mind is how you stuffed up on Saturday and devoured half a huge cheese and crackers plater and a bottle of wine.

Equally, it’s not so helpful to dwell on that one client you find draining when you had at least a dozen other positive interactions today.

Now, you’d benefit from flipping the Teflon: Velcro analogy.

To allow bad experiences to slip right off you… and to really focus on letting those good experiences stick.

It’s a matter of taking control of your mental processes and getting skillful so far as your own thoughts and feelings.

Like any skill, it can be developed.

Let’s power on with 3 keys to a confident brain and of course how to build competence in each:

One: Resilience.

The confident brain is able to withstand and recover quickly from challenging situations. In fact like any resilient matter it’s able to spring back after being bent, stretched or compressed.

To achieve this the confident brain must be flexible. If you’re set in your ways, debilitatingly adverse to change when you’re confronted with the non ideal situation the result isn’t going to be pretty.

Here’s the good news! Resilience builds on itself. That time when everything kept seeming to go wrong…. when perhaps you just wanted to throw your hands in the air and give up – but you didn’t – instead you got got flexible and thought of another way to push on through. That is the time to recall and to draw on when you’re next confronted with super-UN-ideal. 

=> To build resilience so far as achieving your body gain goal it’s really a matter of reframing the way you view each obstacle that jumps in your way. It’s not there to stop you. It’s there to test and build your resilience.

Whether we’re talking an illness or injury. Crazy long work hours. Or simply cold, wet, miserable weather that makes early am exercise even less appealing… Each road block is an opportunity to prove just how important achieving your goal is to you.

Two: Mindfulness.

This is something I’ve been working on recently. With meditation twice daily (it’s going great) and by digital detoxing with zero internet for 24hours once a week (I can do better here) and also by unplugging and NOT listening to podcasts or music or anything every once in a while.

Sometimes I feel like it’s all about the never-ending input. The constant chatter we inflict upon our brain.

The thing is to be constantly connected is 100% within your ability to change… and mindfulness, for me at least develops as I give myself room – unfilled brain space – to breath. It’s a simple way to put it however I seem better able to be mindful, to appreciate and enjoy everything about the present when I’m not obsessing over the past, stressing about the future or cramming the present with mindless information.

=> To build mindfulness it’s likely going to take some scheduling of the habits that work best for you. Whether that’s the daily meditation. Or the walk (unplugged!) in nature or whatever it might be that allows you to feel present.

Three: Deliberately Focus On Beneficial Experiences. 

This key is about utilizing everything awesome that is already happening to you. Those experiences that perhaps currently you’re wasting. Where you choose to put your focus will be dependant on your goal however every single day you’re given opportunities to focus on things that can help build feelings of: Confidence. Connection. Courage. Accomplishment. Being Respected.

The little interactions we’ve both previously let slip right off our imaginary teflon coats!

Perhaps in the past you didn’t even notice that supportive, “Go YOU you’re going great” smile and genuine admiration from a friend, colleague or fellow gym member.

Or maybe you resorted to the detrimental “Yes, BUT I’ve got so far to go still!” and discounted a compliment you received.

Possibly you quickly moved on from that little win you just made happen without taking to time to really let it sink it.

=> To build your ability to benefit from every little positive experience it’s really just a matter of:

A). Consciously hunting for the daily opportunities.

B). Taking 30 seconds – in real time, so at that moment – to deliberately focus on what just went well.

C). Remembering at the end of each day a couple of those positive experiences. 

To get actionable today let’s roll with key 3 to: Deliberately Focus On Beneficial Experiences.

It’s quick, easy, fun and free… and there’s not so much in body gain that’s genuinely impactful that I can say that about.

So why wouldn’t you?

The results with each of these keys will compound over time. It’s not so much of a flick the switch and enjoy immediate results type of approach more so, it’s a sow and water and weed consistently before you get to reap the rewards approach.

I’m not sure who to accredit todays quote to: “Be a warrior not a worrier.”

Thanks so much for hanging with me today. I appreciate it. I’ll be back on Wednesday with the weigh-in show and: Changing Your Training As You Get Older.

If you liked this you’ll also like: Courage Doesn’t Always Roar.

If you’re yet to share the Healthification love – just click here to zip over to iTunes and leave an honest rating and review. It’d help me out big time. With gratitude, Kate.