Most people will have probably heard the phrase positive mental attitude (PMA for short) before - it’s something I hear thrown around a whole lot, especially when it comes to the health and fitness industry, often by overly-keen, hyperactive fit pros trying to sell people on the idea that if they just think positively enough, everything will fall into place and their fitness goals will be actualized. However, in reality while there is some utility in being optimistic and ambitious about what you can achieve, it takes a whole lot more than a positive attitude to actually achieve your goals.
As I mentioned before, setting the bar high for you health and fitness aspirations is important and nobody should ever limit themselves as far as what is possible. This is where having a positive mental attitude can be useful. One phrase I often hear which drives me crazy is “I could never look like that”. There is nothing more dis-empowering than accepting defeat before you’ve even attempted something. The reason most people never achieve their health and fitness goals is because they never do anything to get started. Which leads me to what is actually necessary to make a change - positive action.
The irony is that a “positive mental attitude” is so often the thing that gets in the way of positive actions. Way too many people are listening to someone else on social media blowing smoke up their a*** and telling them how they are perfect just the way they are. But in my experience helping people lose weight and get fit, it’s only at rock bottom that people have the drive and motivation to take the positive steps in order to sort themselves out. Don’t believe me? Go and ask anyone who has ever lost weight, stopped smoking / drinking, or taking drugs, just how positively they felt about their situation before they turned their life around. The point I am trying to make is that while positivity has its place, its important not to understate the power of negative feelings and realise that taking positive action is the only way to succeed.
At the end of the day you can be the most enthusiastic person in the world, but unless you actually do something about being out of shape, all of that positivity means f*** all. Want to know the best part? When it comes to positive action, nothing is insignificant. Never underestimate the power of bettering yourself by even a tiny amount each day, because if you keep it up, one day you will look in the mirror and won’t recognise the person staring back at you.