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Writer's pictureMatthew Cossens

Reawaken The Beast!


We all have areas of our lives where we can start to get complacent. Maybe we get a little lazy, take the foot off the gas or have accepted a lower standard over time. We get comfortable and this lower standard brings with it a result we have accepted or that we pass off with a myriad of excuses; because we have accepted the lower standard, we also accept the excuse. This standard then shapes our lives as we are what we do consistently.


I want to challenge the area that you have accepted less, its time to Reawaken The Beast!!


So where have I lowered my standard in the last 6-12 months? For me it has been the staunch commitment I have had to my morning routine of exercise. The result – I had accepted being 90kg instead of a lean <85kg, I am less fit, more tired and had flow on effects to my broader morning routine (gratitude, goals, affirmations, meditation/prayer etc) and I also found that other related standards were more relaxed, for example how much TV I would watch and the food I would eat.


Could I find an excuse for this? Of course! I have a reconstructed shoulder with 6 screws (early stage arthritis) and have been told by the surgeon I will need a full shoulder replacement in the coming years. It’s only 12 months since I had a prolapsed disc in my neck replaced, it hurts to train, I’ve had multiple knee surgeries. My body hurts (daily) but that is just the easy excuses to find. It’s all in my head! Outside of this the little voice in my head says “you’re tired”, “you’re older”, “it’s ok to rest”, “you’re not unhealthy or fat so why bother”, “you’re fitter than x person or y person”, “you expect too much”. Additionally, when my habits did change (when going through rehabilitation) you become accustomed to easier past times, watching some TV, sleep, just not training as hard and going through the motions instead of pushing yourself.




This led to me looking back over my annual goals and bringing them forward particularly as it related to the area where I had become slack (my health and fitness). I re-evaluated my position and decided that I would be <85kg before the end of the financial year, with <12% body fat, would complete the F45 8 week challenge (to coincide with my goal and enforce accountability) and eat clean. I would reawaken the beast!

How did I turn this around?


Raise Your Standards

The quickest way to turn things around is to start with your mindset and raise your own standards. For those who haven’t had the opportunity I recommend reading Awaken the Giant Within. He talks in detail about how to change any area of your life. It all starts with raising your standards. Some great quotes from this book include:

  1. “Any time you sincerely want to make a change, the first thing you must do is to raise your standards and believe you can meet them”.

  2. “We must change our belief system and develop a sense of certainty that we can and will meet the new standards before we actually do”.

  3. “By changing any one of these five elements—whether it’s a core belief or rule, a value, a reference, a question, or an emotional state—you can immediately produce a powerful and measurable change in your life”.

  4. “The three decisions that control your destiny are: 1. Your decisions about what to focus on. 2. Your decisions about what things mean to you. 3. Your decisions about what to do to create the results you desire”.


This sounds simple but it cannot be faked. It’s about acknowledging your limiting beliefs, shifting your identity and creating a new story for yourself. What does the voice in your head say? What is your story. You story defines you. If you believe you are an athlete, you will set the standards of an athlete. If you believe you are just ‘big boned’ you will set standards that reflect this.


For a quick overview on raising your standards check out:


I could write a whole blog on raising your standards and how changing your story changes your life. But I’ll leave that for another day.


Raise your standards, take massive action and put in place habits and rituals that will drive success!




Motivation From Those Around Me

I found motivation in others for the goal I was looking to achieve. Firstly, from my wife who completed the F45 challenge with phenomenal results. (9.4% body fat loss) and won the first female and (2nd overall) Secondly, from my uncle in law Keith Brewster who at 65 is gearing up for his first half marathon and full marathon in the future. I had the opportunity of going for a run (and chat) with him in the Gold Coast on holidays (my first run in over a year) and his passion to get outside of his comfort zone and set a new standard in turn encouraged me to look back at my goals and drivers for the year.


I think the secret to finding motivations from others it to look at people that you can relate to. Do I find motivation in elite athletes – the answer is yes! But is it a realistic picture for me to compare myself to a Lebron James (who is paid to compete and train) and spends millions of dollars to maintain his fitness to complete at the ultimate level – the answer is NO! People like him give me inspiration, but the gap is so wide it doesn’t provide motivation. In finding people I can relate to either at a similar point in life, with similar challenges gives me more motivation and shows what is indeed possible. It makes it real and achievable. That doesn’t mean accepting a lower bar, find people who have achieved incredible results and look to model that behavior.


Start Out Hard

Everyone talks about it’s a marathon not a sprint……what a terrible phrase that has stuck with people. I believe that life and any pursuit/goal is both a sprint and a marathon and we need the skills to do both. I like to sprint early in all my pursuits to find quicks wins and initial results. This in turn drives my motivation and I can then fall into a rhythm and pace that sets high performance. During the ‘marathon’ phase I am also looking at the data and results of my pursuit and looking for the ‘sprints’ that can elevate my success or move me to the next level. It’s about refusing to accept a plateau and to constantly challenge whatever cadence your life is at.


Use Your Strengths To Drive Lasting Change

I believe I am aware of my strengths and weaknesses, equally I have completed most of the tests over the years and the all have similar themes. For example from the Gallup Strengths Assessment I know that some of my key strengths are Strategic, Relator, Analytical, Responsibility, Competition and Focus. I look to feed my strengths into my success.


By joining the F45, 8 week challenge this feeds into my will to win and measure my progress against others. (Competition) It also assists as I find satisfaction in working hard with others to achieve a goal (Relator)


By sharing my goal with others this feeds into my Responsibility strength as it drives my need for psychological ownership, delivering on my word.


While the analytical and strategic strengths help me to take a fact based approach to results using all data points to drive outcomes.



Remove temptations

Be aware of what my trip you up. For me the temptation over this journey is icecream and carbs, glorious carbs. Particularly hot chips or pasta! The solution…..don’t have it in the house. Then you don’t require willpower.


Go Through The Motions

Don’t be afraid to go through the motions. Not everyday is going to be your best day. But get out of bed and go through the motions. Going through the motions reinforces the habit and ritual. Don’t beat yourself up over a bad day, beat yourself up over giving up or not putting in the effort! And if you do give up or have a day where you drop the ball then ensure you deliver the next day. Don’t accept a lower standard, don’t form a new bad habit. Remind yourself of your goals and commitments and follow through.

Don’t count on motivation, count on discipline and regimented routine!




Eliminating the excuses

I have said this before, there are reasons and results. Results don’t lie. There are excuses and excellence. Excellence doesn’t have a way out. It has commitment. Excuses are for people that only want to try. They are not committed. Results and excellence doesn’t mean you always win. There are variables outside of your control. People. Environments etc. You can’t always control the outcome. You can control the meaning though. How does a result effect you? We cannot control all the events in our lives, but we can control what those events mean!


If you are committed, you will continue to grow. Grind harder! You are committed to the result, not chasing the excuse or the way out. Growth comes in the pain. Get uncomfortable. Your life changes when you step outside your boundaries.



How will I stay the course?

I find the best way to say the course is to have your specific goal in writing as if it is already completed. For example. As of 30 June, 2019 I will be less than 85kg with <12% body fat. Share your goal with others. (hence this blog)


Constantly evaluate where you are at. I have scheduled scans in 2 weeks time (4 weeks into my challenge) and at the end June 30th.


I have accountability both in my meals and my training. I train in the morning with my wife, lunch times (for extra training during the week with my team) and evenings with my brother. I don’t want to let those people down so I train, even if I don’t want to. My meals are sorted in advance (either thanks to Muscle Chef) or prepping for the week on the weekend.


I find a way to keep it interesting and fun. For example, F45 gives me variety as each day is different (changing up through cardio and weights), I go to boxing during the week (with the team @ Mat Masters Academy) and throw in cross training with running or rowing or a game of basketball. This keeps the routine from becoming a chore.


And ultimately, I will stay the course through the strong commitment to change, my goal is not a want, it is a must! Watch this space for results on June 30th!


But what if I fail? Failure is a part of life. The best have failed, over and over again. I will dust myself up, get back up and push forward again. Don’t let others define what failure is for you, don’t let failure get you down. Learn, grow, make the necessary changes and chase the result. Chase excellence!!


So where do you need to Reawaken The Beast? What part of your life needs your attention? Comment below, use some of these techniques and chase results!


Because at the end of the day…




This article is originally published at www.matthewcossens.com/blog/


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