7 Common Traits of Fit, Healthy and Confident People
There are those people among us who somehow manage to get their life on track and keep working hard on reaching their goals. They are ambitious and have a burning desire to succeed. Most people are amazed at how physically fit, healthy and confident these rare individuals are, yet very few people actually stop and ask a very important question. How do some of us manage to achieve all of these things? More importantly, what traits do they have that we can try to develop for ourselves and become more like them? Here are some of the common traits you’ll find among all those who have attained great physical prowess, a stunning body and seemingly unmatched self-confidence.
They know when and how to say “No”
Most the time, it’s not you who is holding yourself back, or at least you’re not veering off the correct path by yourself. Friends, family, coworkers, bosses and even random strangers will often pull you in directions that you don’t want to go in – talking you into having a few more drinks, showing candy in your face when you are dieting, making you waste your time in one place when you’d rather be somewhere else, etc. A fit and confident person understands that sometimes life gets in the way and that you can afford to blow off some steam or do something just to please others, but they also know where to draw the line and be assertive.
They defeat their inner doubts every single day
We all have doubts and fears, and we often talk ourselves out of things or think ourselves into a weak and depressed mindset. Overachievers, be they fitness oriented or excel in another field, don’t just let those negative monologues in their heads drag on – they have arguments with their selves every single day, and they fight hard until the positive side comes on top. Each day is a struggle, but you shouldn’t be afraid to stand your ground and fight that pent up negativity and self-loathing.
They set their priorities straight
Knowing what you want out of life is the key to success. Having clearly defined and prioritized goals allows you to focus on what is most important to you at any given moment, and effectively manage your free time. Strong and determined people have 3-4 priorities in life and a bunch of smaller things they feel are still important, but will never come before the top priorities. An example of this could be:
-Nuclear Family/Partner
-Work
-Training
-Quality time with extended family/friends
This is not a strict hierarchy, as one can trump the others at times, depending on the situation and urgency, but your priorities should be clear to you and those around you.
They approach challenges with maximum effort
Even if limited time is devoted to a particular task, e.g. a short workout at the gym, the fittest and strongest people around will go all out and make the most of it. You can expect nothing but the highest intensity and full focus from them when they train, and this attitude is applied to all other challenges that life throws at them. Multitasking doesn’t work – you have to focus your full attention on the problem that’s in front of you if you want the best results. A whole lot can be achieved if you have the right attitude and the willingness to push yourself far past any comfort zone and work really hard.
They don’t let small failures slow them down
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Edison famously said: “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up”. Go ahead and read that line again, and really let it sink in. The best of the best don’t see failure as a bad thing, but merely an opportunity to learn. After every fall or fumble, you go back to the drawing board, reassess things, practice more, find a better approach and you keep moving forward. You can feel anger and frustration, and these can be channelled into stubborn determination that leads to greatness, but don’t feel sad or disheartened as that won’t lead you anywhere.
They exercise their mind to strengthen their will
It’s not enough to just focus on the physical side of things if you are looking to achieve big goals. A truly fit person looks after his or her mind as well, and trains it rigorously to reach a high level of mental toughness that allows them to go much further than normal people could. To attain an iron will, you must devote plenty of time to hard physical training and learn to push your body just a bit further than it wants to go. This doesn’t mean that you keep training to the point of exhaustion or to where your form degrades too much and you risk injury – it means holding on for a couple of seconds longer and pushing that last repetition that feels a bit sluggish. The other part of the equation is to focus on the purely mental aspect and doing things like meditation and abstaining from some small hedonistic pleasurable, e.g. sweets and sugary drinks.
They know themselves well and are comfortable with who they are
Charisma is born out of confidence, which in turn relies on a good sense of self-worth. If you take any single person that has reached peak physical and mental condition, chances are you will find that they know themselves incredibly well. They don’t overestimate their abilities or attributes, but they don’t sell themselves short either. To be able to set the right goals and achieve them, you have to feel comfortable in your own skin and not be afraid to speak out about your personal tastes, moral and ethical principles, dreams and desires. You need to understand yourself before you can try to make sense of the world.
Model yourself after great people who have reached goals that you yourself find worthy and wish to achieve, and you will soon see some great results. Develop these traits and nurture them if you want to embark on the quest of self-improvement.