Breaking the Broken Record

It's not who you are that holds you back, it's who you think you're not. -Author Unknown

So today we will delve into another internal topic—our self-talk. This is an interesting topic because it really takes several steps to address these, and this is one that takes a LOT of maintenance. 

As usual, I will share a story from my week that is what inspired today’s topic. As you may well know, I am a runner at this point in my life. I decided about a year and a half ago that I was going to lose weight. I spent about 6 months doing the elliptical and gained enough confidence to start moving outside—and this has since turned into a love for running. Last May, I did my first 5k, by the end of the summer I’d done an 8 k, then over the winter at 10k, and in April a half marathon. October 16 is the date of the marathon that’s on the calendar. I was warned by many that marathon training is like a full-time job—or a spouse—takes a LOT of work and it is always on your mind. Because I was already doing a lot of running, I didn’t think it would be much of an adjustment for me. I could not have been more wrong. Coach Lynn (the best coach ever) wrote out a training plan for me that I’ve been following, and today was a 4 mile tempo run. For those that don’t “habla el marathono lingo,” a tempo run is basically running at 30 seconds less than your goal marathon pace (so if you plan to keep an 11 min mile during the marathon, do it at a 10:30 pace). I did just that today—and holy buckets it was tough.

One of the truths that a runner must accept is that there are good days and bad days when one runs. This may be based upon the temperature, the humidity, what you ate or drank before, how much sleep you had, how you’re feeling in general, and how much activity in which you have recently engaged. While this is a widely accepted truth, it does not make it any easier when it happens, such as on a day like today. It is at these times that I have to remember the work I have done to conquer the self-talk.

Think about the broken records that play in your head—the self-defeating and self-deprecating statements that you repeat throughout the day, creating a surround sound performance of what you CAN’T do or what you are NOT? Here are some fine examples:

I can never do anything right. Nobody likes me anyway. I’m too (insert adjective here...fat, ugly, stupid, slow, etc.) to do it. I won’t be successful, so why try.

These broken record statements are very powerful, and they typically stem from something that somebody told us or led us to believe earlier in life—and while we hated the experience of them when we were younger, we tend to allow them to repeat in our head regularly.

Here’s the good news: You have the power to change them.

Here’s the bad news: Now that you know this, you have nobody to blame but yourself!!

So today’s homework is several steps:

1. Pick ONE of your broken record statements and identify it. Write it down, share it with a friend, speak it into the universe, put it in a journal—whatever it is.

2. Think about it—where did this weed start growing in your mind? This may be a less-than-enjoyable process—and maybe even painful—but I know you can do it. If you were strong enough to live through it when you were younger, I know you are strong enough to review it now.

 

3. Assess it. Is it based upon truth? Are you REALLY too WHATEVER to accomplish your goal? Are you REALLY a failure? I’m guessing it isn’t based upon truth. Because the only things we canNOT do are those which are truly impossible—I cannot physically jump from the ground to the top of the 80 foot tree in my back yard.

4. Replace it. Find a statement you can replace it with that is based upon truth. My old record statement (“It is too hard and you can’t do it”) has been replaced with a new, realistic one: You can do it, you have done it before, and you’ll do it again. 

This is no easy task, but go ahead and give it a try. Share with us below about your record—what was it and what can you make it? And if you want to share about its roots, all the better!