Step 1: Commitment

"A river cuts through a rock not because of its power, but its persistence"

One thing that all elite athletes have in common is commitment. The commitment to reaching their highest potential despite what obstacles are encountered along the way. I faced some of the best and worst times of my life as an athlete, dedicated countless hours to training, and literally gave my blood, sweat, and tears to the game. Through ups and downs, the best athletes stay committed, constantly creating new goals and striving to be better than their competition and themselves. Even though softball was only a Spring sport, I trained year round in the hopes of improving everyday and being the best ME I could be come season. 

It's been said so many times, but it's completely true that being fit and healthy is a lifestyle, not a once-in-awhile kind of thing. You can gradually change your mindset to love working out and eating clean if you don't already. Just as important as physical conditioning, you have to condition your mind to love the appropriate things that are going to treat your body best! It can become frustrating when you don't see immediate results, but persistence is the key! 

Athletics, and softball in general, are often games that are based on failure. Even if you feel like you're struggling with some things, you can make small adjustments and stay positive that your changes will make you successful later on. Coach used to always say "improve everyday" and that's one thing that's stuck with me beyond graduating. It could have been the smallest thing -- something that wasn't always visible to my teammates -- but if I did something in the bullpen, in the weight room, or in my mind to make me a better athlete, those were little improvements that would build up over time to make a big difference.

So Step 1 to living fit and fab is committing yourself to a healthy lifestyle! Goodbye, bad habits. Hello, new you. ;)