“The only way to change your life is to change your mindset. If you want to be successful, you can’t let your mind hold you back. You have to be willing to push through the pain and the fear and the doubts and the excuses. You have to embrace the suck and keep going. You have to take control of your thoughts and your actions and refuse to be a victim. You have to be a fighter, not a quitter.”

David Goggins

As a former gym rat, I never thought I would find myself bedridden and unable to exercise. But that’s exactly what happened after I ruptured my Achilles tendon. For weeks, I was unable to do any form of physical activity and I quickly began to lose my strength and fitness.

At first, I struggled with the victim mentality. I asked myself “why me?” and blamed everything else for my situation, including my injury, my work, and even my family. I felt helpless and frustrated, and I didn’t know how to move forward. Instead of trying to find solutions, I just sat around feeling sorry for myself and doing nothing.

To make matters worse, I started drinking alcohol to cope with my frustration and boredom. I spent hours watching TV and mindlessly scrolling through social media. As a result, I gained weight and became increasingly grumpy and irritable. I was unhappy and unfulfilled, and I didn’t know how to change my situation.

But instead of succumbing to this mindset and continuing on this downward spiral, I decided to take control of my situation. I knew that I needed to make a change.

One of the challenges I faced was that my ruptured Achilles tendon made it impossible for me to leave the house to go to the gym. But instead of letting this obstacle hold me back, I decided to explore other options for staying active at home. That’s when I discovered bodyweight training.

I began my calisthenics and bodyweight training routine with just 10 push-ups each day, and gradually increased the number of reps as I grew stronger. Over time, I was able to build up to a daily routine of at least 100 push-ups and 60 pull-ups.

But it wasn’t always easy to stick to this routine. I had to overcome numerous challenges and obstacles along the way. For one, I have a family and a full-time job, so finding the time to workout can be difficult. But I made it a priority, and I never missed a day, even on weekends. I would work out at 6am every morning, before the rest of the household woke up. If my kids woke up early, I would incorporate them into my workout, playing with them and getting them involved in my exercises. If I needed to take calls for work, I would do it while working out, multitasking to make the most of my time.

By prioritizing my health and fitness, I was able to reap numerous benefits. Not only did I regain my physical strength, but I also improved my mental clarity, focus, and discipline.

First and foremost, having a regular exercise routine helped me to overcome the victim mentality and take control of my life. By focusing on what I could do, rather than what I couldn’t, I was able to shift my mindset from one of helplessness to one of determination and resilience. This shift in mindset had a positive impact on other areas of my life, and I found myself becoming more disciplined and focused in general.

Another benefit of regular exercise was the positive impact it had on my overall health. By getting my heart rate up and increasing blood flow, I was able to reduce my risk of heart disease and other chronic illnesses. I also found that I had more energy throughout the day and was able to sleep better at night.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of regular exercise was the way it made me feel. I am more confident and self-assured, and I have a newfound appreciation for my body and its abilities. I feel strong, powerful, and capable of tackling any challenge that comes my way.

In short, regular exercise has been a game-changer for me. If you are struggling with the victim mentality, I highly recommend giving bodyweight training a try. By just starting and taking small steps, you can overcome this mindset and begin to take control of your life. The benefits will spill over into other areas of your life, and you will be amazed by the positive impact it can have on your overall happiness and health.

In high school, I was a competitive tennis player, and I was determined to be the best. I would spend hours on the court every day, hitting balls and practicing my shots. But despite my hard work, I often struggled with injuries and burnout. I would go through periods of time where I was unable to play at all because of these issues.

One day, my coach suggested that I try a different approach. Instead of always trying to hit the ball as hard as I could, he suggested that I focus on consistency. “Mike,” he said, “it’s more important to consistently hit the ball in the right spot on a regular basis than it is to always try to hit winners. The last person to get the ball in wins the point.”

At first, I was skeptical. I didn’t think that this approach would be as effective as my previous training methods. But over time, I started to see the benefits. I was able to maintain my skills without getting injured or burned out. And I even won more matches. I realized that consistency was the key to my success, and that always trying to hit winners was actually holding me back.

So in the end, I learned that consistency is better than perfection. I was able to achieve my goals and improve my performance by focusing on consistency and playing smart, rather than always trying to hit the ball as hard as I could. It wasn’t always easy, and there were times when I still wanted to go for the big shots. But I learned that staying consistent was the key to success, and it helped me become a better player.

I learned that being consistent allowed me to consistently outperform my opponents and achieve my goals. I learned that being consistent allowed me to build my skills and confidence, and that it was the key to achieving success on and off the court.