It is so easy to fool ourselves into thinking that we are doing our best, but are we really?
It is just too easy to be mediocre. In fact, the world seems to conspire to make us fit somewhere in the middle… to be average. I’ve fallen into this trap many times myself, and what it means is that we create our own glass ceiling in each aspect of our lives.
A week ago, I decided to really push myself at the gym. Working with my personal trainer, I managed to lift much heavier weights in almost every exercise I’ve tried. Spotting me, my training partner Don, has been having similarly dramatic improvements.
Only 4 weeks ago (Jan 21) I tore my right calf muscle and was out of action for a few weeks.
Then yesterday, I went for my morning run and pushed myself, managing to achieve my fastest run over 5km for the year – even faster than I did the same distance last year…
This surprised me because I’m 50 years old, (so any improvement is a good one) plus I’m a bit heavier than I was for most of last year.
The glass ceiling
It is human nature, that when faced with a challenge so much greater than we have ever faced before, our first response is; ‘I can’t do that!’ And so we set ourselves a more achievable goal.
Whether it is a work challenge, a fitness challenge or a financial or lifestyle challenge, unconsciously we create our own glass ceiling for everything we do. Commonly, we set our expectations too low. This way, it becomes easier for us to achieve what we set out to do – and unfortunately, we rarely rise above the goals we set ourselves.
So how did I break my fitness ceiling this time?
In my experience, breaking your glass ceiling requires three steps; in this order:
- Change your mindset about how you set your goals.
- Set yourself up for change by doing something different.
- Put it into action
Continued… Breaking your Glass Ceiling at the Gym
See also:
Breaking the glass ceiling on my morning run
About the Author
Chris Edwards is a Communication Strategist and Executive Coach. He is a City2Surf Legend who applies the same focus and dedication to his clients that has powered him over the line year after year.
Discover if Chris is the best coach to help you improve your business or personal performance; contact him now for a confidential chat.
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Tags: glass ceiling