We’ve been talking a lot about confidence inside the gyms. What confidence feels like, how we build it, and how we transfer these beliefs from fitness to our everyday lives.

Repetition creates familiarity which helps the unknown become less overwhelming. The more familiar we become with our environment and our abilities, we begin to trust. Our first day at camp feels very different to our 100th. We leverage those proven experiences of success to later trust future experiences that are unknown. We develop a mindset that can see beyond what may be in front of us at that given moment. We know that we are equipped to overcome.

Confidence softens our worries and catapults us to new opportunities. The hurdle in front of us doesn’t feel so big. The weight in front of us doesn’t look so scary. The mile run doesn’t seem so impossible. The promotion we want doesn’t seem so out of reach. Confidence gives us the boost to say “yes” while not allowing the fear of failure to paralyze us. That’s the goal. If Burn Boot Camp can help you build confidence to maximize the quality of your life – we all win.

Embracing our achievements, no matter how small, and recognizing our progress over time will create opportunity for building confidence. When we’re aware, we consciously choose to view these experiences as positives ones, later creating positive associations. When we’re unaware, we only recall negative experiences. We openly talk about our camp’s celebrations and recognize our camp milestones in the Keep Moving Club for good reason! This self-reflection allows us to build a solid foundation of confidence.

This has been on my mind a lot lately. My whole family was taken down with pneumonia not long ago. When I finally caught it, my knee jerk reaction was, “I can’t get sick, I’m in such a good flow!” And I was. I was feeling strong, energetic and motivated. But I didn’t panic. Sure, I was disappointed, frustrated and impatient, at times. Movement is what I do! But if I look at my fitness journey, there have been countless times that I’ve been disrupted by life. Sickness. Injury. Grief. Relocation. A new career. Changing responsibilities. Vacation. Aging parents. A pandemic. New responsibilities. Marital stress. Growing children. L-I-F-E. Through these experiences, I developed confidence in my ability to overcome these challenges, or at times, periods of true rest and indulgence.

Each experience looked a bit different, but the outcome was the same. I got through it. And if you’re wondering, my ass didn’t fall off, and my muscles didn’t melt off my bones. We are so quick to acknowledge that it takes a while to build strong bodies, yet immediately assume they go away overnight. Our hard work doesn’t vanish in an instant!

Disruptions are the number one guarantee in a fitness journey. Those who have never experienced a disruption simply haven’t been in the game long enough. Consistency proves both hardship and confidence. It is up to us to determine how we weather the storm. The more disruptions we face, the more we overcome. We build resilience and become more comfortable facing the uncomfortable. The more we overcome, the more we realize that these setbacks are merely a part of being alive, they are not a sign that your fitness journey is over. When we give up, or never begin in the first place because we’re waiting for that perfect moment (that doesn’t exist), we lose the opportunity to create confidence.

I encourage you to keep going…

And that’s what I did. I was out of the gym for one month and barely went beyond my mailbox to exert physical energy. Every part of me wanted to move. But I understood this was another hurdle in my fitness journey that tested me in new ways. Instead of worrying, I leaned in to rest and trusted my ability to start again when I felt well enough. I didn’t fear what I would lose or gain. I didn’t question what I was capable of. I rested. And when I wasn’t perfect, I refused to feel guilty for it because progress, not perfection, is the goal.

But of course, that wasn’t always the case for me. When I first started my fitness journey, my mind was spinning with unproductive, panicked thoughts:

What if I lose all my progress?

What if I fail?

I’m so far behind.

I’ve worked so hard. This isn’t fair.

I’ve already missed so many days. What’s the point of going back?

I am so unmotivated.

I’ll never feel motivated again.

I’m losing all my muscle.

This is too hard.

I’ll never be good at this.

I’ll never achieve my goals.

It’s over.

WHAT THE F&#K!!!!!!!!

I’ve felt and thought all those things. I had a fixed mindset. But every time I came back onto the floating floor, I picked up where I left off. That’s consistency. Some days are 100%, other days are 20%, 80%, 0%, 10%, 30%. Sure, it wasn’t always easy, but that’s never the point. Consistency led me to confidence. Confidence led me to trust the journey of life, including any hurdles or disruptions thrown my way.

Perhaps this is you right now. You have a broken toe and are wildly aware of how annoying such a small toe can create such pain and inconvenience. Or, you just moved your mother into a long-term care facility and you’ve been off your routines. You’ve been sick yourself and aren’t quite ready to return. You just dropped your child off to college and behind closed doors, you’re an absolute wreck. Your schedule changed and you’re still adjusting. Your nutrition has taken a back seat and you’re feeling overwhelmed. You just returned from a 7-day, all-inclusive vacation and your energy is dragging. Someone you love just passed away, and you’re hurting so deeply right now.

It's the hard and messy middles that open new doors of self-discovery. Giving up in these moments won’t get you closer to your goals. These are the opportunities that create confidence. Confidence takes reps.

Note: Interested in learning more about confidence vs. self-worth? Check out WORTHY by Jamie Kern Lima.