Fit And Focued With Allison Moyer: Part 1: “Temet Nosce” (Know Thyself)
I frequently get asked about the tattoo on the inner side of my right forearm. It’s the second of two that I have (the other being on the back of my neck) and it’s written in Latin, “Temet Nosce”, which translates into “Know Thyself”. It’s what is inscribed on the side of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Why would I get something like that permanently inked on my arm? Well- I truly believe in the power of knowing yourself, knowing who you are, where you come from, where you’re going, what you stand for, and what you’re made of.
I always find this to be the hardest time of the year for me in terms of being mentally motivated and focused. The past two years I’ve done Nationals, which pushed me up through until November, and I usually continue to sail through the holidays guilt free, training hard and eating lean. Then I hit January and suddenly my mental mojo comes to a screeching hault. It’s never a matter of my getting to the gym, or adhering to my nutrition needs- for me, that’s a lifestyle and it comes and goes as naturally as breathing, but usually around Jan/Feb I tend to feel disconnected from my training. I feel absent from it, as if I’m merely going through the motions. I’m not connected to what I’m doing, to my muscles working, or to the sweat pumping cardio session I’m pushing through. I’m doing, without feeling, and I’m shoving through without any mental semblance as to why.
I KNOW I’m not the only competitor, athlete, or person for that matter who hits these mental walls when it comes to motivation. If you’re like me, and you do 4-6 shows (or more a year) it can become taxing to continually dig up the determination, motivation, and focus to propel yourself through two a days and adhere to a stringent eating plan. Sometimes- the motivational well runs dry.
As I begin to get my head right and dig into my prep for the Arnold Amateur, I started looking for sources of motivation to help me find my focus. I googled, I watched youtube videos, I updated my vision board, I reached out to fellow figure athletes through text and email, but nothing seemed to get me amped up about the process of preparing for the Arnold. That was- until I looked down at my forearm and was reminded of the phrase I had inked there- “Temet Nosce”, KNOW THYSELF. I started thinking.
Why is it- that when it comes to motivation- we always look OUTSIDE of ourselves rather than inside? Why are we expecting others to do what we SHOULD be doing for ourselves? All of us have within us the keys we need to be successful, yet so many of us look to outside sources for inspiration. As I thought about this I closed the laptop, I put away my fitness magazines and I sat there, eyes closed and honestly meditated for long minutes on my personal fitness journey-hw far I’ve come and how far I want to go, what I’ve went through emotionally, physically, and mentally to get to where I am. I got goosebumps. I got excited. 
I jumped up and ran to my desktop and dug up old progress pics. I flipped through old diet journals and old training logs. I was sitting in a sea of papers and photos in my office, sifting through the remnants of my fitness past and I was amazed at how much I’d forgotten about my own journey. I realized how much I’d learned and grown as both an athlete and a woman. Don’t look to someone else to bolster your confidence, rejuvenate your focus, and keep you centered. KNOW THYSELF- know what you’re capable of! Look back and see how far you’ve come. Look forward towards the goals you’ve set for yourself. Whether you’re a gym veteran or a workout newbie- you have a fitness story and a health journey, and rather than looking to others to inspire you, why not be inspired by your own path? Be inspired by your own abilities and by the knowledge that you have what it takes to be successful. We are all born with inner strength and mental fortitude and the most successful athletes understand that as much as outside sources can help to inspire, TRUE motivation has to come from within, from knowing yourself and what you’re capable of achieving.
You can overcome any obstacle. You are as strong as you make up your mind to be. Make up your mind to be your own greatest motivator. Strive for progress, not for perfection and create your own motivation.
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