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Someone wise once said that the difference between successful people and unsuccessful people is how they define their success and how they choose to see success in their own lives.
We had this overwhelming feeling of a very unique personal definition of what success is when reflecting on the conversation we had with Bongiwe Pinana. for her, the definition of success is freedom. Freedom to live life on your own terms and be whoever, however, whatever you want to be. Bongiwe Pinana embodies this to the fullest.
The 29-year-old personal trainer is one of the most goal-orientated people we've ever met. Her entire life is mapped around her goals and her happiness. She isn't afraid of facing hardships to improve her life, regardless of how hectic the challenges may be. “A few years back, I felt like a was not moving forward. Every time I went to work, I'd feel depressed. I was lucky enough to notice that I needed change, so I changed jobs. It was not easy but it's was the best decision ever. I never want to feel like that again.” We all know how scary it is to leave a secure job but she did it, all because her goal was happiness.
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She has turned the process of reaching her goals into habits, which makes it easier for her without even thinking about it. Her daily routine is centered around her training clients and herself. She's at the gym from 5AM till 9AM. She can call the gym her other home. In between training clients, she makes time to train herself from 11AM till 1PM while eating right in between. She credits this daily routine for her amazing body.
One of the core beliefs is understanding the power of patience and time. In our conversation, she recalls how her grandmother used to tell her, “Yonke into inexesha layo,” which means everything has its own time. Her grandmother's words have bolstered up her confidence and kept her consistent and we think, more importantly, has kept her from giving up on her goals. She understands that it isn't always the end goal you should pay attention to but also the small daily goals, because they add up to the big end goals.
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Bongiwe knows all too well that one the things you will always come across when striving for your goals is pain. In her own words, “pain is a warning system that alerts you of what you are going through and gives you a chance to assess so you know how to move forward. This can be both physical and emotional.” She uses this mindset and understanding of pain to ensure that she never gets comfortable with any situation and pushes herself to go through the hurt so she achieves more, grows more and ultimately reaches her goals.
As much as she might seem like she is all work and no play, she believes in keeping a healthy balance of life and going out dancing, meeting new people, caring for those close to her and making time to talk to her mom over the phone each day.
In life, we seldom meet people with pure untainted dedication to their own version of success, and we believe we have found one of them in Bongiwe Panina who in just one conversation has taught us so much about goals, success, and consistency. We hope you feel the same way.
Please leave your thoughts about Bongiwe and your advice and mottos on goals in the comment section below. Thank you for taking the time to read this inspiration feature.
Images shot by @72_photography
Photographer @Elijah_Palm
Cover Design and Art Direction by @Seventwo_Creative_Agency (www,tribalfitafrica.com)