The Power of Persistence  Let's start at the beginning. What are your goals in this sport? We all have set goals in this sport as bodybuilders - if your name is missing in the "ALL" list, please take time to reflect on what you want to achieve as a competitor.  More often than not, we work vigorously toward the goals that we set out to realize. But along the way we encounter obstacles, and we eventually give up and call it quits. Such obstacles might include struggling to stay the prepping course, finding the right coach, handling the judge's critiques, to mention but a few. If this is you and you are wondering how some people manage to stay persistent, and eventually overcome, you're in the right place.  Natalie has some tips that will help you stay the persistence track.   Natalie Richards is an IFBB pro and has been competing for the past two and a half years. Through persistence and hard work, Natalie won her Pro Card in the 2018 NPC Junior Nationals. Natalie has successfully worked her way up to compete in some of the most prestigious stages such as New York Pro and Pittsburgh Pro. Besides competing, Natalie works as a Purchasing Manager for Ghost Lifestyle, a sports nutrition, and supplement company.  In today's episode, Natalie talks about the importance of persistence in the sport of bodybuilding and getting comfortable with being uncomfortable in all situations that life throws on you. Natalie also shares how she continues to overcome her struggles and improve to become a better athlete. Finally, she shares some of the experiences she's had with a past coach, and the lesson she's learned to help further her career. Let's go!   Takeaways  Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it Take everything with a grain of salt, learn the experience and move on to the next thing Be persistent; don't stop Help other people through their struggles Put in the work  Be disciplined Be persistent enough to push yourself to new limits Get comfortable being uncomfortable Enjoy the process Know yourself and understand your body Listen to your body and be in tune with it Never let one bad placement or even a handful of bad placements derail you    Important Questions  [00:06:38] How long have you been competing? [00:07:25] When and where did you get your pro card? [00:10:23] Why do you compete? [00:17:43] How was your journey like when you started the NPC? [00:20:52] How would you say competing in the NPC has been different from competing in the IFBB? [00:26:26] Can you tell me a time when your discipline was being challenged? [00:30:26] Can you bring us back to a time where you were at your lowest point? [00:35:01] What do you think patience and persistence are so important in the sport of bodybuilding? [00:40:11] Why did you switch your career? [00:44:02] How did you know it was time to try something new? [00:45:57] If someone is a pro and looking for a coach, would you recommend hiring another pro to coach them? [00:51:02] What was it like to step on some of the most prestigious stages?  [00:52:55] What are your goals this year? [00:55:47] What would you say were the biggest lessons that you've learned this year? [00:59:16] What exactly is your method for putting on muscle?  [01:04:14] If you could give one piece of advice to someone wanting to become a professional in the sport, what would it be?    Follow Natalie: Instagram: @nataliemarierichards   ----->Head HERE for your FREEBIES, coupon codes, and other links! https://vibe-athletics.mykajabi.com/links