How competitive Powerlifting has given me a big lift in business By Aneela Rose

“I love the sport, there’s an incredible, supportive network of people in the powerlifting community who are passionate about strength training and lifting heavy."

On 29th October 2016 I won a silver medal at the Great British Powerlifting Championships held in Manchester. I had set myself a personal goal in January this year – to compete in a national powerlifting competition. Not only did I compete, which was the most nerve-wrenching experience of my life, I achieved Personal Bests in all three of my lifts in squat, bench press and deadlift, just 7.5kg shy of the British record and qualifying for the World Championships.

It’s an achievement which a year ago seemed as plausible as setting foot on Mars. The key factor has been the adoption of a growth mindset, which I first heard about at my child’s school last year. Little did the school realise that they had not only influenced my child’s attitude to learning, but my own behaviour changed too.

Embracing a powerful mindset has impacted my success, in and out of work; I’m stronger, mentally and physically, I’m focused on my goals, I’ve developed better habits and I thrive off learning from others. I’m willing to learn, grow and improve constantly.

 My passion for entrepreneurship remains central to my business life and by setting and achieving goals in my personal life, I have experienced higher energy levels, improved self-belief and positivity, which has transferred into the workplace. It has had a profound effect on me personally and in business.

 In the past year I have truly mastered the art of organising! Fitting in a strict training and diet schedule whilst running two growing agencies and a hectic personal life - it’s challenging but I believe I can do it all so I just get on with it! It would be easy (and understandable) to find excuses for not ticking off the bucket list. But, I’m not wired that way.

I love sport for so many reasons and although powerlifting can be lonely, it gives much needed breathing space as it helps to shut off the outside world completely, albeit for a brief time.  At work I’m a role model for my team who constantly look to me for answers, mentoring and guidance but with this comes inane pressure. In the gym, the opposite is true as my trainers tell me what to do, challenge me with their instruction and constantly push me past my limits. I welcome this role reversal as it has sharpened my thinking and attitude, and I’ve become more confident and successful in business as a result.

Success means different things to different people. I’ve achieved so much in a year, with an amazing support network and the right mindset I’ve finally started to believe in myself… I pictured the future, I planned how to get there and I got off my butt and worked at it.

It’s not easy but we are told that if you really want something, you’ll find a way.