As a boudoir photographer, I'm generally asking people to step out of their comfort zones and step in front of my camera to do their boudoir session. I know it's a lot to ask of some people, and some people don't know if they can take the step (or sometimes the leap) out of what's normal, to do something that can be both scary, but super rewarding! Well, this weekend I took a pretty big leap out of MY comfort zone, and I wanted to share it with you guys, because I can't just talk the talk, I better be prepared to walk the walk!
A few months ago Ashlyn, the owner of #PerfectFit4U (a gym and personal training/nutrition facility in Lethbridge) asked me to compete with her and a group of other women in a competition called FemSport. Basically, it's a strength competition for women only, and the events tested include flipping a 290lb tire 6 times, doing 15 burpees with a 30lb sandbag, doing 50 box jumps for time, lifting kettlebells ranging from 45-70lbs and running them to a podium, and then also doing an obstacle course for time. To say it's intense is probably an understatement.
When she asked me to compete with her and her team, I decided to just go for it, I thought to myself, honestly what do I really have to lose? If I say no, basically I'm saying I could never do something like that, and if there's anything I've learned in this life, it's that if you put your mind to something and put in some hard work, you can achieve it. I mean, I started a boudoir business essentially out of thin air five years ago, and if it wasn't for that mindset, I wouldn't be as successful as I am today.
And so began 12 weeks of gruelling training, with a group of really fit girls, and...me. I have been into fitness fairly passively for the last year, but since February I have become more dedicated to my fitness goals, and I even signed up for the color run in Lethbridge, and the foam run in Red Deer. I have realized over the last year that the thing that motivates me more than anything else is having an end goal to reach, working out just to work out doesn't really do it for me. I need a goal to strive towards, and Femsport was my next goal. So the training began.
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| A Typical Workout for our Femsport Team |
At first, I really wasn't sure what I had gotten myself into. I had only ever flipped a tire once with help, I wasn't sure I could even lift a heavy kettlebell, and a burpee with weights...maybe not. But, I had already agreed to do it, and I'm no quitter. So every week usually 1-2 times/week I would meet up with the girls and we would work out. It was really tough at first, but I began challenging myself and overcoming obstacles that I didn't even know I would be able to, and doing things that totally surprised me.
I began flipping that tire with passion, and zest. I couldn't lift the kettlebells at first, but slowly I was able to. And doing burpees... at first I struggled to do them, but soon I was able to do them with a 40lb weight, more than the requirement for FemSport! Who am I? I looked in the mirror and started not to recognize the reflection staring back. I was transforming on the outside, but more importantly I was transforming on the inside.
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| The day of the competition - Yes look for me in every picture with these beautiful sun glasses on! Oops lol! |
Doing something that completely terrified me made me realize a few things about myself. I learned that just because something seems scary, it doesn't mean it's not do-able. Actually, because it's scary, it makes it that much more exciting when you accomplish it. I realized that finding people also trying to accomplish something outside of their comfort zone means you end up surrounding yourself with people who will motivate you to do things you never even dared to dream of doing. Then I realized that after accomplishing it and proving to yourself you can do it, you get to experience one of the best feelings in the world: confidence in yourself. You get to have physical proof that hard work actually does pay off!
I realized that I had to put in all the hard work, if I didn't show up to train and put in 100% effort, there would be zero returns/zero gains for me and for my team. Reaching this goal wasn't just signing up for the competition, it was all of the training and practice and time spent improving my skills and abilities to be ready for this competition. When it's all said and done myself and my team have put in hours and days of work over 12 weeks, all for about 8 minutes of timed work at the competition.
Running Kettle Bells for Time - The purple are 45 lbs each, the green are 55 lbs, the red is 70 lbs!
And guess what? The payoff was HUGE. My team placed 2nd Overall in our division! Now, believe me I was incredibly shocked about this! I wasn't sure how this was going to turn out, and I certainly wasn't expecting to place in this competition! I mean I was hopeful but I also felt like there were a lot of great competitors, so it was anyone's guess who would place! But when they called our name for the silver medal, I had to do a double take! Did I just hear that correctly? Then, when I stood up there with my teammates to receive my medal, it all hit me at once. I did it. I did this thing that at first I wasn't sure I could do, then I thought I could do it, but wasn't sure if I could be good at it, then I realized I was good enough at it that I actually received a medal for it! Not even in my wildest dreams did I think that would happen!!
So why am I sharing this with you? Because I want you to know that when I ask people to step out of their comfort zones, I understand what I'm asking you to do, because I know what it feels like to step out of MY comfort zone. I understand that it's scary, and that you may not feel like you can do it, but I promise you if you put your mind to it, you can.
Luckily for you, a boudoir session doesn't even come close to requiring the amount of work before-hand that FemSport has. You only need to show up on the day of your session, with your lingerie, and I will seriously take care of everything else!! And the payoff for you will be HUGE too! You may experience the same emotions I had, being unsure if you'll be able to do it, and then realizing when you're finished that you did it, and that you actually ROCKED it. That it was actually fun, enjoyable, rewarding, and you'll get the greatest gift from all of it: confidence in yourself.
This is my advice about doing things outside of your comfort zone If there's something you want to do that scares you, just do it, just commit to it. What is the worst that's going to happen? Honestly, if I failed miserably at Femsport this weekend, I'm still FAR better off for all the effort I have put in, than I would be if I never even attempted it.
It's best to accomplish your goals with a team of supportive, like-minded people cheering you on. If I was to train for this on my own, I probably would have given up, or stayed within what's normal for me. Instead, I had other girls rooting me on, and that made a world of difference. People believing in you can be the difference between success and failure, I know it was for me.
I want to give a huge shout out to my #PerfectFit4U teammates, Savana and Jamie, as well as all the girls I trained with (pictured below). It was a hell of a fun time training, pushing past our limits, and seeing all our hard work pay off together! I can't wait to do it again next year!!
If you'd like more information about Femsport please visit: http://www.femsport.tv
If you'd like more information about training with #PerfectFit4U please visit: http://www.perfectfit4u.ca
If you'd like more information about booking a boudoir session, please contact me HERE :)
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