Unbreakable Mind & Body

The Champion's Mindset: "Balance" Is Holding You Back

• Tiana Gonzalez • Episode 24

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Ready for some hard truth about transformation? In this powerful episode, I dive deep into why most people remain stuck in the "anticipation phase" rather than taking decisive action toward their goals. Drawing from my experience as a retired professional bodybuilder and nearly 30 years in the fitness industry, I challenge the popular notion of "balance".

The uncomfortable reality is that champions don't maintain balance – they commit wholeheartedly to their vision, even when it means sacrifice. During my competition days, I would spend 3-5 hours daily exercising while managing a full-time career, proving that transformation demands more than just wishful thinking. 

As I share, "You can visualize the transformation, you can see yourself in the physique you're desiring... However, at some point you need to actually go to the gym and put the weights in your hand and execute."

We explore why stepping into unknown territory feels so threatening – the vulnerability, the potential for failure, the discomfort of being seen struggling.

For those ready to break through, I've created a free guide called "Lift Like You Mean It," a 5-minute pre-workout ritual to help you approach training with clarity and purpose.

What area of your life are you keeping in the anticipation phase? Download the guide in the show notes and take your first step toward becoming the person you're meant to be!

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Instagram: www.instagram.com/tianasmindandmoves

Website: www.unbreakablemb.com

Email: info@unbreakablemb.com

Download your Free 5-Min Pre-Workout Guide:

https://tiana-gonzalez.mykajabi.com/likeyoumeanit

Disclaimer: This show is for education and entertainment purposes only. This is not intended as a replacement for therapy. Please seek out the help of a professional to assist you with your specific situation.


Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Unbreakable Mind and Body podcast. I am your host, tiana Gonzalez, a multi-passionate, creative storyteller and entrepreneur with a fierce love for movement. This is our space for powerful stories and actionable strategies to help you build mental resilience and elevate your self-care practice. Together, we will unlock the tools that you need to create an unbreakable mind and body. Welcome back to the show. I am your host, tiana. Host Tiana, and on this episode I want to share with you why I think it is critical that you get out of the anticipation phase and get into action taking Now.

Speaker 1:

If you've been following me for any amount of time or listened to previous episodes of this podcast, you know I am a fitness professional with nearly 30 years of experience. I have met thousands of amazing human beings at all different levels, all walks of life, various socioeconomic backgrounds, various interests, different sports hobbies, different family dynamics, and everyone that crosses my path has something in common they're looking for transformation, they are looking for change, they want to go from point A to point B, and they come to me because they are looking for the linchpin or the connector or the bridge to find that solution and to get to point B. Now. I'm a retired professional bodybuilder. I have spent many years of my life choosing to suffer, choosing to bring myself near starvation, choosing, at various intervals of time, to do three to five hours of exercise per day, while also working a full-time job, a career, managing a team of 40 people and being on call 24 seven, including holidays and weekends. So, yes, I understand what stressful is and I also understand that, when it comes to something that you truly want for yourself, if it is burning on your heart, you will do whatever it takes to make it happen. You will take that action. You will do the things that most people will not do Because, truly, what it boils down to is this Champions do not have balance.

Speaker 1:

Champions do not operate having a balanced lifestyle or thinking about life and maintaining balance. That is a narrative for people who want to be just okay. Having balance is for people who just want to get by. They're not looking to knock it out the park. Maybe they're not looking to be multi-millionaires or run multiple businesses or be killing it in a sport.

Speaker 1:

But for the people out there that are, for the people out there listening, that want change, maybe tapping into a little bit of that champion mindset for a short period of time will help you catalyze change and get unstuck and unfuck yourself from the position you're currently in so that you can experience the greatness of what lies on the other side of the struggle. That you are avoiding because all you're doing right now is spending time in the anticipation phase. You see, the challenge here is that you're stepping into unknown territory. You're stepping into an arena that maybe you've never been in. You're putting yourself out there showing your ass, being vulnerable and potentially failing at something. And if you've had a small amount of success, that's risky, because now people are watching, because now you can't go backwards, because now people are holding you accountable, people are looking to you. Each of us is leading in some sort of way. We're either leading our kids, we're leading our spouse, we're leading our friends, and then there are other times where we're not in the lead. We're following someone else's lead. But it's important to recognize that when it's your turn to and it's your turn to go first and you don't have a blueprint to follow, or you don't have a roadmap or clues or any type of experience in the thing you are setting out to do, it's fucking scary.

Speaker 1:

I was on a group call a few days ago. I'm in a mentorship program with an amazing coach and on this team call, the way it's formatted is we send in questions the day prior and she reviews the questions and then she answers each one live. So the participants like myself are really just watching and we can turn on our cameras and see other participants, but no one else is really talking. It's just the two my coach and then the co-facilitator of the program and they are answering the questions for us. And what's really cool is, in the call we just had a few days ago, there was a question that was being addressed and it was just talking about stimulus and my coach said something that really landed for me because it's my realm, it's my world. But she said you know, I know not everyone on this call works out or lifts weights, but there comes a point in time where you can think about lifting the weight, you can visualize the transformation, you can see yourself in the physique or body or shape that you're desiring, and you can use your mind to do that. However, at some point you need to actually go to the gym and put the weights in your hand and execute and you have to be willing to feel that weight, to feel that stimulus. My listeners know I love that word stimulus. We've talked about it on several episodes.

Speaker 1:

So the champion and that champion mindset, they know there's going to be unknown things they're going to encounter on their path. There are going to be days that they don't want to get up at 5 am and go to the gym, that they don't want to make another batch of white fish with no oil and no seasoning and they don't want to eat that stuff. But those are the things that champions do when they've got that laser beam focus, when they have their eye on show day, when they know there is an end in sight. And I'm not going to get distracted on my way there. Now, I know people are going to be up in arms. What do you mean? I have kids, I have responsibilities, I have work. I have to find balance. Of course you do. And also, if that's what you want, then don't be upset about the results you didn't get from the work that you didn't do. And I know some people are going to be triggered by this conversation, but you know what? Sometimes you need to hear it because the facts are the facts.

Speaker 1:

And let me say this my mentor, my coach, she is the sweetest being. She makes me feel so safe. She comforts me. I love this woman so much. I'm actually enrolled in two different programs with her simultaneously. I signed up for one in the middle of March and it was all about healing your nervous system and feeling safe manifestation system and feeling safe manifestation and expanding your wealth capacity so you can call in abundance. And the other program, which I decided to also join two days later, is all strategy and coaching me to build a digital offer that is also heart-centered and aligns with my belief system, is ethical and will hit or land with the right target audience so that I could help hundreds, if not thousands, of people all at the same time, as opposed to trying to do one-on-one mentorship of people all at the same time as opposed to trying to do one-on-one mentorship. And she just makes me feel so safe. She has these containers for the two programs and everyone is so lovely and gentle. It's mostly female and we support each other, we cheer each other on, we celebrate each other's wins. And she surprised me on that call the other day because she said you know what, at some point you just got to get your ass in the gym and feel the weights in your hand and execute, and I firmly and wholeheartedly agree with that statement. Firmly and wholeheartedly agree with that statement.

Speaker 1:

So how do you take action when you're stepping into unknown territory? You've heard me say it before Find someone who has done what you are looking to do and either consume all their content, download their freebies, or retain their services and pay them for their expertise. We live in an age where we are not in a lack of information. You can search high and low videos or use AI to uncover the answers to just about anything, but the difference is you have to execute, and when you're looking to complete a change or transformation or do something really hard or scary or totally foreign to you, you just have to rip the band off, bandaid off, and do it and learn your lessons as you go along.

Speaker 1:

Now, as a personal trainer, I work in an amazing facility. I love my clientele and I love what I do, and I will tell you, one of the conversations that I have probably daily at this point is not really convincing, but trying to work through the conversation and navigate it in a way so that the person standing in front of me understands, just like this episode so far, that they just need to get the weights in their hands or feel the stimulus and do it repeatedly and consistently and be present and commit to the process. That does not give you a return right away to catalyze the change, to become stronger, to build muscle. And it's a slippery slope for a lot of people because in some fitness establishments, group classes are marketed as strength training because they have the word strength in the title or because they do move at a slower pace. However, it's still not the same thing as lifting out on the fitness floor. It's different when you do a whole workout using dumbbells or some light kettlebells, as opposed to getting your ass out on a platform and lifting some heavy shit with a barbell.

Speaker 1:

So what do you do? How do you make that transition to go from class queen to a badass? And don't get me wrong, something is better than nothing. So when you're looking at the variables in your life, if you only have a few windows of time and you just want to work out and then leave, maybe that suits you. But if you're looking to step into that unknown realm, if you're looking to make changes in your physique, if you're looking to build bone density you know who you are listening. Building that bone density is going to change your life.

Speaker 1:

If you're looking to do those things, you need to step into that unknown territory and sure you are a capable person. I'm sure you could look things up, follow along and do it on your own. But how much time do you want to commit to that process? So you're either going to invest in your time or you can invest financially with an expert, with a professional, with someone who's going to get to know you, understand you and give you just the right dose that suits you, that fits into your lifestyle and that helps you catalyze change. Now, if you're looking to compete in a sporting event or a bodybuilding show of some sort or really make this crazy transformation and it requires a huge sacrifice then you definitely need to hire somebody who's walked the walk or is currently walking the walk and can help you through the process so you can filter out the noise and stay focused on what you need to do.

Speaker 1:

So, just for reference, if we're talking about a bodybuilding show, let me break this down for you, okay. So not only do you have to commit to the cardio and the weight training, have to commit to the cardio and the weight training. You're also eating every single meal at home, with the few exceptions. You're cooking all your food. That takes time. You're probably shopping for all your food, unless you have food delivery service, which some people do and that's great. Then there's the posing and then there's the actual show itself. So there's an investment there.

Speaker 1:

So you're thinking, maybe some travel. You might need a hotel room. You have to pay for a suit and tanning posing sessions. The ladies also need to get their nails done, have their hair and makeup done professionally, jewelry shoes when I was at my peak, competing 15 years ago, it was easily a $3,000 to $5,000 experience. If it required airfare and a hotel stay because I was traveling far, then the number was even higher. But the biggest sacrifices of all is the amount of time Three to five hours per day leading up to show day on top of regular life. Champions don't have balance. Champions do what they need to do to fucking win. Now, if you could have just a little bit of that, a little bit of that attitude, that spice, and apply it to the thing that you want to do, I guarantee you you will accelerate the process, you will shuttle yourself forward, because you're either going to move forward in the moment or you're going to learn something and then, in learning something, that will help you accelerate forward the next time.

Speaker 1:

So I've put together a free mini PDF guide that you can download. It's called Lift Like you Mean it, and this is a five minute pre-workout ritual for you so that you can set your intentions, you can choose the exercises you plan to do, and walk into the gym with clarity, intention and purpose and take deliberate action. I am seeing way too many people come into the gym and they don't know what they're doing. They're spending too much time on things that don't matter and not enough time on the things that do. So I've put together this cute little freebie for you. The link is in the show notes for you to download, and then you'll be added to my email newsletter and get notifications. I do have a very special event coming up in the next coming weeks, so you'll be the first to know about that, and something really special that I've been working on behind the scenes will be launching at the end of this summer. So if you're interested and you want to hear more about it, check the show notes.

Speaker 1:

Download Lift Like you Mean it. This has been a little labor of love and something that I've been working on, and my coach, who I've been talking about on this episode, is the one who's really helped me get clear and put it together, so I'm grateful to her for all of that. But again, it's time for you to take control, it's time for you to get out of the anticipation phase and it is time to take some fucking action. Champions do not do what normal people do, and I want you to take a little nibble, or a big bite, of that champion mindset so that you can accelerate your progress and stop thinking and imagining and hypothesizing of what life could be like and start actually doing it and stepping into the person that you are meant to be. Again, check the show notes if you want to download Live Like you Mean it. I appreciate you being here and I will see you on the next one.