True Strength of Character and How to Combat the Negative thoughts to Fulfil your Exercise Goals
Written by Bradley Abbott, Personal Coach
Bradley Abbott is known for his wholistic approach to personal coaching merging fitness training with nutritional therapeutics. Author of the e-books A How-to Guide in Developing Functional Strength, Power and Adaptability, and The Cussing Coach, both published in 2024.
Strength is more than muscles, it is the discipline to overcome mental resistance and stay committed to your goals. This article explores how negative thoughts can derail your progress, why the battle within is universal, and practical mindful and emotional tools to help you follow through, set a positive example, and achieve lasting fitness and self-confidence.
The mirror tells the truth
You must become as sharp as a knife, a razor wind, and be the example to your family and community that is undeniable. Fail to prepare, and you prepare to fail. However, do not become rigid in your approach to health, business, or life. Give in to temptation too many times, and you will find yourself looking at someone you do not recognize. The mirror tells the truth, though sometimes you may not truly see that person looking back at you. Heed my words, and you will succeed.
The gym-goer: The true strength of character
Picture this: you’ve had a hard day at work. You’re tired, outright exhausted, anxious, and sweating. Your parents have argued with you over small things, and you know you have to get that gym session done because it is the closest thing you have to a sense of tranquillity, a sense of peace. Do you do it?
You hear online “gurus” and some successful businesspeople talk about “using something to fuel it,” but how many of them actually practice what they tell you to do? Perhaps not many.
But you are not like them, are you? You have a hunger, a fire in your belly that sometimes drives you greater than what the online “gurus” can comprehend.
Now, think about this: what happens if you don’t do that workout? By default, there are always consequences. At the very least, you will break the promise to yourself, causing your confidence and sense of self-worth to decline. If this continues, you will become the person in the mirror you do not want to recognize.
Gradually, you chip away at your own morale and confidence, crush one of your goals, decline your self-image, and dampen any chance you have of being recognized as that person who had the potential to be fit, healthy, energetic, and inspiring to future generations.
We always have that battle inside us, especially when we are tired. Some call it the “boss voice” and the “b***h voice.” Others call it “negative thought” and “positive thought.” Those more religiously inclined may call them the “angel on my shoulder” and the “devil on my other.” Whatever you call them, that inner battle about making better choices is part of our humanity, and it never completely goes away. However, depending on the habits you develop, one of those “voices” can become stronger than the other, and it begins with becoming aware of that battle from moment to moment.
When we are tired, even outright exhausted, we are most vulnerable to the negative voice telling us to eat that pizza, saying, “It’s okay, you’ve had a hard day. You need to rest and pick it up again tomorrow.” We are our own best salesmen. We know exactly how to exploit our own weaknesses, and we are damn good at it. So, I ask again: will you do it?
If you have kids, think about the positive example you are setting, showing them how to push past your own mental barriers that keep you from being the person you want to be. This is the true strength of character.
Be the example your parents could not be for you. Set the stage and be excellent. You are worth the fight. Your kids are worth the fight. Your community is worth the fight. The example you set will be seen by others in your family and your neighborhood. So, I ask one more time: are you going to do it?
Mindful tools you can use
Mindful practices help you connect with your body and mind, making it easier to overcome negative thoughts and stay committed to your goals. A five-minute body-scan meditation allows you to identify areas of tension in your body, bringing awareness to where stress may be held and helping you release it. A ten-minute breath meditation helps you observe thoughts as they pass in and out, teaching you how to let them go instead of being controlled by them. These simple practices improve focus, reduce stress, and strengthen your ability to act with intention.
Emotional tools you can use
Emotions such as anger and anxiety are powerful, and when properly channeled, they can become fuel for your goals. Learning to direct these emotions into productive action transforms frustration and tension into motivation. By consciously harnessing your energy, each workout, task, or challenge becomes an opportunity to build resilience, discipline, and confidence, helping you maintain progress even when the mental battle feels toughest.
Caution
If you do not learn to channel your emotions properly, they can run away with you, leaving you drained and exhausted. Remember, emotions are extremely powerful.
Read more from Bradley Abbott
Bradley Abbott, Personal Coach
Bradley Abbott is a personal coach and author. Known for his wholistic approach to training merging naturopathic principles with fitness training, he has managed to reverse the symptoms of his clients almost completely, and raise their energy to heights they never thought possible. He is the founder of Phoenix Phorm Online and uses these platforms to educate and inspire a larger audience.
