Put a Dollar Value to Your Pageant Setback

Fitness has always been my weak spot in a pageant competition. I always dread that part of the competition because I know I have not been applying myself by getting into shape. I end up settling for less than my best, and feel disappointed after the pageant is over, where I know my lack of discipline was evident in the competition. I had heard the advice about fitness preparation for people like me: basically, that for every moment we are hoping our competitors are unmotivated to reach their fitness goals, they are giving their all to be ready. Like it or not, we can't slack on our preparation and just cross our fingers that the other contestants won't reach their goals too. For my upcoming pageant, I knew I needed to make a drastic commitment. While there is no fitness or swimsuit competition for this pageant, my goal is to fit into smaller sizes without relying upon Spanx and a prayer.

So, I signed up for Jillian Michaels' personalized fitness program. It is a great value; you receive coaching and feedback from a coach for four months for about $115. While there is a program with a little less ribbon for half the price, I wanted to spare no sacrifice for achieving my goal. Accountability is a huge issue for me. I knew that by spending so much money on a wonderful fitness program, that all I needed to do was close my eyes and imagine myself standing on the stage, unsuccessful at reaching my goal, with $115 floating above my head. Then, I quickly transform that visualization into a positive image: I see myself standing on stage, confident and proud of my success, and the money nowhere in sight because it was a worthwhile investment.

The moral of the story is to seek a monetary investment in which to hold yourself accountable to. If you keep failing to reach your interview goals and do not have an interview coach, reach out there and find a coach. After spending a certain amount of money for the service, recognize the money you would waste if you could not achieve the goals you set. If, like me, you also struggle with the fitness aspect, seek out a health and fitness mentor. You can sign up for an online program like me, or find a nutritionist or personal trainer in your area. Whatever you do, the key is to have some sort of guilt factor involved in the deal. Once you can confront your guilt and use it to your advantage, keep moving forward with the knowledge that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

I hope you all will keep moving toward your pageant goals and dreams with discipline and determination.

-Miss Pageant Prep