In It to Win It

By
Jana Hollingsworth

This month I'd like to share my experience with my Fitness Competition and how it turned into a great growth opportunity for me. In my career as an Intuitive Coach, I have always found that the level of success I have with a client is dramatically influenced by that client's ability to focus on and commit to their own goals. Even though a "Fitness Competition" seems like the polar opposite to spiritual and intuitive work, I found myself really having to "practice what I preach" when it came to focus and commitment when reaching for a higher level.

For most of my youth, I never really had a lot of ambition. I was usually comfortable to keep the status quo and stay away from things that required a long-term investment of energy. I always made a good living as an Executive Assistant to CEO's and heads of entertainment companies. Although I never loved doing that kind of work, it was something I was good at and I didn't have to work very hard at it, which suited me just fine. As I got into my late 30's though, something inside me shifted. All of a sudden, the status quo was no longer acceptable. I knew I wanted more out of life and felt it was time for me to find what my true passion was. Over the next several years, I delved into various fields to try and find something with which I truly resonated. I went back to school to study Spiritual Psychology. I later returned to school to study Holistic Health. Although I enjoyed both of these schools and learned a lot from each, I knew I wanted to do something with my career that could combine the teachings of both. I had been hearing a lot about Life Coaching during that time and found a school that taught spiritually based Life Coaching. I really committed to this new path and poured 100% of my soul into it. It was a perfect fit for me. That was the beginning of my transformation.

I was finding real satisfaction in pursuing my goals with all my heart and I was finding that success in one arena could often lead to success in another. This newly committed energy also carried over to the fitness aspect of my life. I have always enjoyed working out and have always tried to keep myself in good shape. However, a few years ago, I decided to try and bring myself to a new level. I was about to turn 45 and I thought it might be fun to push myself to be in the best shape I'd ever been in. My personal trainer suggested that I enter a "Figure Competition." He explained to me that a Figure Competition was a contest where women are judged on muscular symmetry and tone. I thought it sounded like a good challenge and agreed to train for it. At that point in time, I had never seen one of these competitions and had NO idea what the girls looked like who participated in these events. I decided to go in with the attitude of "ignorance is bliss." If I didn't know what to expect, I might not be too nervous to actually see it through.

I'm actually glad I didn't go to a show ahead of time. Several years ago, there were a lot of ex-bodybuilders who were getting into the Figure competition. I thought these girls were HUGE and it seemed the judges were looking for fairly bulky women! If I had seen a show ahead of time, I would have never entered. When the day of the actual competition arrived, I had already achieved my goal because I really was in the best shape of my life! It didn't matter to me that I didn't win a trophy. I was just proud that my hard work had paid off and that I ended up having enough nerve to stand on a stage with a very small bikini to be judged! Later, when I looked back at that time, I realized that since I honestly had no idea what I was getting myself into, I was plagued with insecurity and was not 100% committed. The diet was incredibly strict and the amount of time and energy I had to put into the weight training and aerobics was significant. It definitely took up more time and emotional energy than I had bargained for. Not to mention it was expensive! The bathing suits you wear on stage needed to be custom made (which cost several hundred dollars). I had to pay for the nutritionist, trainer, tanning, hair/make up, etc. I was also plagued by various injuries and was in physical therapy through much of my training.

The intention I went in with, which was "ignorance is bliss" helped me have the nerve to do something which was very much outside my comfort zone, but it also meant that there was no way I could have completely done my absolute best... It was as if I had one foot in the water, and one foot out!

Three years went by and I decided I wanted to do another competition. This time I was better prepared mentally, spiritually and physically. I knew what was in store this time and I had a completely different mind-set. I'd also heard that the competition was moving away from the seriously bulky look to more of a symmetrically toned and balanced look so I knew my chances would be better. My attitude was that I was "in it to win it." I knew I wanted to "place" which meant I'd have to be in of the top 5. Because my attitude was different my whole experience was different. The diet and training were very easy. There were no injuries. I made sure I took really good care of myself and really committed to my goal. I went to get chiropractic adjustments before a problem could get bad, and I also got massages on a regular basis to keep my muscles relaxed and flexible. I also incorporated dancing one night a week into my workout routine. I absolutely love to dance and it's a GREAT cardio workout.
I did everything I could think of to make this an enjoyable experience for myself and increase my chances of success.

When the day of the competition came, I felt ready and confident. During the "pre-judging" which was the morning of the contest, they will generally call several girls out from the group to compare each of them. If you are called out as one of those girls, you know you are in the top 5. I was thrilled when they called me out for the comparison! During the finals that evening, they announced that I had come in 4th place. I couldn't have been happier. I achieved my goal of making the top 5!!

My lesson in all of this was one which I regularly try to instill in the clients who come to me.

Your committed attitude and heartfelt intention play a HUGE role in achieving your goals. Your commitment is often THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT in making a positive change and moving to a higher level in any aspect of your life. If you aren't quite getting the results you want, ask yourself if you might be doing the same thing I did with my first competition. - do you have one foot in and one foot out?

Think of your most important goal right now and ask yourself if you have the "In It To Win It" attitude? If not, get very clear on what your intention is, then truly commit to it and then reach for the stars. I know you can do it!