watsonalex95: Personal Improvement ? GoTimeTraining.com

Ernest Hemingway said it best, ?There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.?

Let?s discuss the concept of self improvement.? According to Dictionary.com, ?improvement? by definition is as follows:

im?prove?ment [im-proov-muhnt]
noun

1. an act of improving ?or the state of being improved.
2. a change or addition by which?a thing is improved.
3. a person or thing that represents an advance on another in excellence or achievement: The new landlord is a great improvement over his greedy predecessor.
4. a bringing into a more valuable or desirable condition, as of land or real property; betterment.
5. something done or added to real property that increases its value.
6. profitable use, as of a period of time.

As it relates to a ?personal? nature, you can see improvement is about making changes to advance, reach an achievement, increase value, or add to in a positive manner over a previous condition or state.? As many of you know, this past weekend Kalene and I traveled to Omaha, Nebraska for the NANBF USA Super Pro Qualifier Natural Bodybuilding Competition.? Although not a bodybuilder, Kalene competes in a division called ?Bikini?.? For me, it?s exactly what you imagine, natural bodybuilding?the flexing and ?stuff?.? I?ll admit, at first glance bodybuilding seems a big foolish in nature.? Think about it, I spend hours and hours every week at the gym, I carefully measure out each food item gram-by-gram, ounce-by-ounce to eliminate all body fat, wear what some like to call a ?speedo?, get covered in some ridiculous looking ?tan?, and stand in front of a crowd of people flexing every muscle in my body, including squeezing my butt-cheeks until they are numb.? Sounds like a good time, huh!? Yes, it?s a selfish sport (if you can call it a ?sport?), takes up endless amounts of time, and requires 100% dedication 24/7.? So what the purpose?? Why do we compete?? Why not take up checkers or flag football?? Good question?

For me, natural bodybuilding is about personal improvement.? Bodybuilding allows me to put plan in place to continually improve my physique.? If you know me, it?s not hard to tell that I have a Type AAA personality and with that comes the need for structure, planning, and strict adherence/dedication?it?s just how I?m wired.? Digging deeper, bodybuilding is about improving yourself physically and mentally day in and day out so that when you decide to ?display? your physique on stage, it is improved from your last appearance.? Some people find themselves visiting the gym to maintain/lose weight but as a bodybuilder, we go to the gym to become better than the previous version that walked through the door the day before.? Each day is about learning, growing, and continually changing for the better.? That is why it?s called bodybuilding, not bodybuilt.

This past Saturday I won my pro-card which means I am no longer an amateur and now enter the ranks of other professional bodybuilders with the International Federation of Physique Athletes (IFPA).? For some people this ?pro? title is exactly that, a title.? Others, it?s a milestone of achievement but for me it has confirmed my journey of personal improvement.? Improvement in both my physique in term of muscle definition, conditioning, symmetry, and my ability to display it properly (posing) since I last competed and compared to the other competitors.? Since my last competition I have worked tirelessly to make improvements in my weaknesses and build and overall more balanced physique.? Earning my pro rank as a natural bodybuilder doesn?t provide me with much satisfaction beyond the fact that I?ve improved over the past two years, which is my goal each and every day.

My point to this blog is not about bodybuilding or becoming a ?pro?, it?s about challenging yourself to being better than you were yesterday.? The key to improving is being dedicated to change.? Let?s face it, change is the hardest part about life, period.? Changing takes planning, implementation, patience, and a method of measuring a difference in whatever you desire to improve upon, or simply change in some fashion.? A big aspect of change is not only physical but mental as well.? For many of our clients, changing their lifestyle takes intense physical work but it?s more of a mental commitment than you?d imagine.? Improving yourself begins with your mindset!? Are you committed to change?? Are you focused on your goals?? Are you motivating yourself daily with your thoughts?? Are you pushing past barriers and being strong willed when road blocks come your way?? Are you getting back up after falling down?? What I?m getting at is make it a goal to improve your mental state daily and focus on changing how you look at daily situations to deal with struggle, hardship, and your personal weaknesses.? I believe that focusing on your weaknesses is most important in life for self improvement.? Yes, it?s nice to build upon your strengths but if I relate this to bodybuilding, it?s not to your advantage to have overly impressive set of shoulders if you have stick legs (have you seen the Geico commercial?).? Thus, you must focus on improving your weaknesses in life and strive to wake up each day a better person than you did the day previous.? I?ll leave you with this quote, ?nothing worthwhile in life is ever easy?!? Remember that when you wake up each day and reach for your goals to improve YOU!