I may upset a lot of people by saying this, but I cannot stand hearing a competitor talk about an upcoming contest they plan to do, only to back out at the very last minute.  I can understand how a significant family emergency, significant illness or a significant injury can undermine plans to compete at a specific event, but I have heard everything from a lack of financial preparedness, to going on a vacation in which all self-control is abandoned, to failing to follow a contest prep plan faithfully, etc., as reasons for pulling out of an event.  It is just one excuse after another.  Yes, that’s right, I said excuse.

I lead a very busy lifestyle which has me switching roles from physician to model to writer to contest prep coach to trainer.  My mother is in a skilled nursing facility and since I am her only child, the burden of monitoring her care falls upon me.  I train intensely and regularly five to seven days a week.  I pack my food daily.  Yet when I select a competition to participate in, I never, ever allow myself to back down from that goal.  I commit to it entirely.

What is involved in this commitment to compete in a specific contest?

1. I research the show schedule thoroughly beforehand and determine which contests I plan to do.
2. I establish a detailed budget for each contest.
3. I coordinate financial resources, both my own and those of my sponsors so that I know how expenses are being covered.
4. I compile a to-do list for each event which includes a timeline so that I am sure to stay on track with when show registration is due, deposits are due, and when flight reservations should be made.
5. I follow my contest prep plan faithfully and do not sabotage my own efforts to be contest ready by the time of the event.

I honestly believe that fear and self-doubt are what jeopardize a competitor’s focus and generate the feeling that contest plans should be postponed.  By pushing plans back repeatedly, a competitor develops a cop-out attitude which flies in the face of the determination and fortitude that characterizes the world of competitive bodybuilding.  Let’s face it, life always throws challenges at us.  But there is no reason whatsoever to allow those challenges to discourage us from continuing to pursue that goal of stepping onstage and showing of the efforts of our determination and hard work.

Pick a contest date, commit to it and just DO IT!