You're Holding Yourself Back (Here's Why)

You are the only person holding yourself back, whether you are aware or not.

You have so many limiting beliefs that look like brick walls to you. You've never seen them move and you've never tried to move them. You only find out they're paper walls when you push against them, I know this because I was holding myself back for so long.

Where I Was

I was a fat and mentally weak kid. My standards for myself were low because they've always been low. I didn't believe I could do great things because I thought I just "wasn't that person". I didn't work out, read, or really try to improve my life in any meaningful way, because I thought that just "isn't me". I was waiting for someone or something to save me from myself and I didn't even know it.

I grew up with no confidence, no trust in myself, and no joyous hope for the future. I was habitually distracted and I didn't keep promises that I made to myself. I thought "who people were" growing up was how they always were and always will be. I was in constant mental pain. I lacked courage and self belief to even think I deserved a life different than what I had.

I knew that something had to change, but I was always putting things off for my "future self". I imagined my future self was someone who had their life together, and had the unwavering discipline to do the tasks my present self had given him. This was all a bunch of bs. Excuses that were so easy to fool myself with. I say "fool myself" but I knew what I was doing. Saying things like "I'll just do this later" made me feel good in the moment because I could avoid the discomfort now while also not feeling "too" bad about myself since I had a "plan" to do it later. Well, later would come, and I still wouldn't do what I told myself I'd do. This happened more times than I'd like to admit. When this happens enough times, you lose trust in yourself. When this happens, you are on a fast track to a life of pure disappointment.

Now I'm not here to ponder on if I was this way because of the way I was raised, how my parents talked to me, the beliefs my parents or family members instilled in me, bullying, or even feeling like I wasn't good enough for my dad to stick around. I'm sure all of these things played a part, but dwelling on them would just keep me in the same place. It would keep me in the wrong mindset and keep me in the wrong perspective.

In high school I started going to the gym to try and change my life. It was a good start, but I still had self imposed limitations I wasn't aware of. I was still mentally weak and still the same person. I didn't know this at the time, but what I needed was a total mind/identity transformation before anything else could work. Because your mindset and beliefs are really the foundation in which everything else is built.

Transformation Begins

After high school, I joined the military, and that's when everything changed. I was in a special operations pipeline that pushed me past my limit, both physically and mentally, every. single. day. Day in and day out, our cadre made us do things that I initially thought were impossible. I didn't understand the game yet. Just an example, they'd tell us to run 400m in 45 seconds (the world record is 43), and then punish us when we inevitably didn't meet their standards. Initially this broke me down because NO ONE was meeting the standard. Everyone fell short of the standard they set, so everyone kept getting punished with more and more exercises. It was a cycle. One that started in the morning and ended at night. Day in and day out.

I later realized that this was the game. They didn't expect you to be able to meet this "standard" they set. They wanted to see who was mentally tough enough to keep going even when the odds seemed impossible. I didn't know it yet, but this would cause me to have the biggest mental transformation I'd ever have in my entire life.

Imagine if I came to your house early one morning and made you do exercises with me all day. I don't just mean like a regular workout, I mean this would be the hardest day you've ever had physically. Now imagine, once the day is coming to a close, and you are thinking about how this was one of the hardest days of your life, I look at you, smile, and say "I'll see you again tomorrow bright and early. Now you get to live with the mental angst that comes along with being aware of what will take place again tomorrow. But this isn't something that lasts for two days. This is something that lasted about 6 months for me. This journey actually broke my brain (in a good way). This redefined for me what was possible and what the human body and human mind are capable of. It also made me painfully aware of how much suffering we do in our minds just anticipating something that hasn't even happened yet.

The Turning Point

So we would go through this day in and day out. Our cadre would make us do something and I would literally say to myself "I don't think i'll be able to do that". I'm not talking about 400m in 45 seconds, I'm talking about just enduring the grueling morning. All of us guys going through training found it easier if we tried to just tackle the day in bits. So in the morning we would say "just make it to lunch", and after lunch we would say "just make it to dinner". Each time we made it to a meal, I would doubt if I had what it takes to make it to the next meal. I would still try because I didn't want to give up on my brothers next to me. But guess what would happen? I would get through each training evolution blown away at what my body was actually able to accomplish. My mind would quit way before my body would give out. This taught me that every time I thought my body was "done" and that I just couldn't go anymore, it was my mind. Your body can go way farther than your mind can. Once you experience this, you start to see how your mind has been holding you back in every area of your life, not just fitness.

What You Can Do

When you constantly show yourself that you can do things that you thought you couldn't … that's when transformation happens. The harder you push, the more you challenge yourself, the bigger the transformation. This unlocked everything for me. You know why? Because once you see that these limitations in your mind were put there by you, AND that they can be removed by you, you start to ask yourself this question … What can't I do? I mean, as long as I put my all into something and stick with it, without quitting, what can't I achieve? Once you reach this point where you're asking that question, your whole life trajectory changes in an instant. All of the boundaries you had in your mind start to crumble. You start to see everything you truly want in life as possible and not just a dream. This was the turning point in my life and it would bring me the greatest joy to help you reach this point in your life. If you think you won't be able to do this on your own, or you want me to help you 1:1, apply for my coaching program here.

Now, I want you to think about how many habits, perspectives, and thinking patterns you hold because you just "always have" and don't even know it. You don't think about it because you've just "always done it this way". Maybe your parents have also "always done it this way" and they were stuck in the same cycles too, which were passed onto you. This is not about blaming your parents, grandparents, or anyone in your family for that matter. You cannot change the past, but you can start to be the one who breaks this cycle. The first step you have to take is being aware. I had to push up against these beliefs/limitations to see them for what they were. You start to see every outcome as possible as long as you put in the work and really work as hard as you can (if you're honest). You'll be mentally strong enough to withstand any trial or tribulation. Mentally strong enough to endure even when everything in you wants to quit. Proud of yourself and your inner strength. Excited for the future and all of the possibilities because you BELIEVE they are possible for you. When you don't BELIEVE you can achieve these great feats, your perspective turns negative.

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right" - Henry Ford

HOW YOU START

You have to start doing things that you initially think you are incapable of doing. If I told you to run 10 miles after reading this, do you think you could do it? If you say no, why not? I didn't say you have to run it under a certain time. As long as you just run, and don't quit, you will get there.

YOUR BODY IS CAPABLE.

IT'S YOUR MIND THAT NEEDS TO CHANGE.

Even if you're not in shape, you are still capable of running 10 miles. Even if it takes you 5 hours, you can do it. It's your mind that doesn't think you're capable, but your body can endure much, much more than you think it can. So let's say after you got done reading this, you went out and ran 10 miles. It might be slow, it might be ugly, but you did it. If before you started, you thought you wouldn't be able to do it, congrats. This is your first step at a truly life changing stair case. I can't tell you how many steps you have to climb in order to reach the mental breakthrough I speak of, because it's different for everyone. What I can tell you, is that you will get there. I would say after consistently doing something you initially think you are incapable of doing, for roughly 1 to 2 months, everyday, then you will start to have the blindfold come off.

It's simple, but not easy. I can't tell you exactly when this breakthrough will happen for you, but it will come. Something in your brain will unlock and you will start to feel the mental blindfold coming off. You will start to see everything as "possible". You might even start to get a little upset because you were living blind to this for so long (I sure did). Confidence and happiness start to skyrocket because of how in control you'll feel.

I hope this helps at least one of you out there.

If you found value in this newsletter, you may appreciate my

“Distraction Assassin” guide. It goes deeper into distractions and includes a step-by-step approach to building discipline

• Distraction Assassin: The no-nonsense guide to unstoppable focus

Thanks for reading!

-Savaghn