If you close your eyes and visualize what you want your life to look like, what does it look like once you've achieved your highest goals. Maybe you're pioneering women's sport or perhaps center boxing match with Nick cumm as the Honey Badger o case. So maybe they're not your goals, but there is someone who has achieved all of this after mastering the art of visualization. She joins us next to help you not only visualize your goals, but achieve them. And after that we're tackling temptations.
I'm in a situation where I'm trying to make healthy eating choices. However, I live in a household with the family member that is John food addict and one who just loves to beat a variety of goodies every day. How do I go about living in an environment with so many time patients.
I'll get to that question just a little later on the show. I'm Sam Wood. This is the Wood Life, real people, real questions, real life. Now it's time to get in to visualization.
Now.
Usually when I have a guest in the studio, I know exactly what we're going to talk about. But my next guest, we could honestly have an enthralling conversation about a number of topics. I want to ask this person about being a role model to so many young girls and AFLW superstar sas Superstar Now podcast host Welcome to the wood Life, Sabrina Frederick. How are you?
I'm very well And what an intro?
What an intro?
That's true?
I mean even you know, I'm not a huge guy for prep. I'll be really honest with.
Has been hours and hours prepping at Joe.
But I mean that you've done so much and to be honest, it really feels like you're just getting started. I mean, at the peak of your AFLW career, absolute superstar of the game, such a recognizable figure. And you know, I'm a father of soon to be four daughters. And something we have in common is your wife is pregnant as well.
Yes, there's a lot of this, a lot going on in my world at the moment. Wouldn't I wouldn't change it. And I think that all those things they encompass who you are, and they challenge you, and they push you in a direction where you probably never would have thought you would have ended up. And even just the few things you've said there, you know, ten years ago, I would have said, who knows where I would have been so be able to reflect like that and see what
I've been able to manage to do. And I'm so excited for the future and to become a parent, something I've always wanted to do. And they say that being a parent it changes you. So I really can't wait for that next chapter of life. And I can't complain. It's been a few crazy years, but I've learned so much.
You're obviously a big mindset person, and I also know you're a big visualization person, and I wanted to just go there for a little minute because you're a big, big believer in it. Can you talk us through a little bit what you do from a visualization perspective, first of all, from an AFLW standpoint, and then I'd love to know does it transition into other areas of your life. There's a two prong question for you.
Yeah, I mean it is a big one. I think more and more people are getting into it and realizing the power of it. I think visualization for me personally, is more about seeing yourself somewhere, which then instills belief that you can actually be in that environment. I don't necessarily think that it's painting an exact picture of what you want to happen, because things change all the time. For me, it's more about what am I feeling, what
am I doing when I'm my best. So in terms of a football game, it's being around my teammates and if I can envision getting around them and goals being scored and me being in the middle of it and them being around me. It's that feeling that I get from the sport that I visualize and the passages of play that sort of get me there. I think sometimes people mistake visualization for playing out a game in your
head a thousand times over in different scenarios. That's completely different, and to be honest, that would probably really exhaust me. Pay out a game a thousand times before I've even played it. It's more just visualizing those moments. I guess going back to you why of why you do things is for me, the reason why I play football is the love of the sport, but also the connection to
my teammates. So me playing at my best is me in those environments, and when I go out onto the ground before games, I really do try and envision myself in certain parts of the ground in those moments, and then it's crazy when it unfolds in some circumstances and you just think, wow, Like a couple hours ag I was really thinking that, and that really unfolded and instills that belief that it's in you to get to that point.
In terms of translating that out of football into the rest of my life, I'm a huge believer in visualizing what you want for your life. I think that football is just a part of me. It doesn't define me. It's just something that I do and it makes me a better person. But even coming back to, you know, being a parent. More recently, I've been visualizing my first moments with her when she's born, or my first moments of when she can run around? What am I going
to be doing? Am I gonna be out there and full of energy and sort of living out those moments as well? So I think it can. It definitely can translate into different parts of your life. And I know a lot of people are sort of like, is this magical.
Oh yes, spooky, spiritual, whatever you want to call it.
But I think it's more just that stuff that makes you feel good. Why would you not want to feel that before it's happened. So I think it's more just living out those moments that make you feel good, instilling belief that you can achieve those things, and then you know, if it happens, it happens.
But for me, it's worked.
So it's similar to what is happening to the contemporary version of meditation, Like people who have now worked out you can meditate in a myriad of ways. You've got to find the right form of meditation to you. And you know, you see visualization and it absolutely works, but it'd be different for every person. Yeah, everyone has their own interpretation of it and it has to feel right. If you're cynical about it or you're skeptical about it, it's never going to break through.
Well no, because then it becomes it's becoming a force thing, and you never want it to be forced, especially visualization, because that whole process is filled with emotion and I guess passion and that feeling of what success means for you, And I think if it becomes a chore, then you're almost doing the complete opposite of what that feeling trying to achieve. So, yeah, like you said, is it is basically a form of meditation because you're taking time away
from reality and giving time to yourself. And I think every single person has a right to mess with it and sort of figure out what is the best for them, because in the end the day, that's the person that you want it to work for. So no everyone can sit cross legged for twenty minutes and meditate, no noise or whatever.
You know, I don't even think I could do that.
I think for me, I've tried different practices and over time, and trying is the big key thing here is you don't know until you try. So even for you, like you said, you've never really gotten into visualization, but.
You know what I have, I just haven't realized it hasn't been a conscious practice. Yeah it's been. I do it with business, and I do it with family, yeah, and perhaps not. You know, we don't have a game everything.
It's your life.
I don't have a game with my family, Yeah, game every weekend. Perhaps don't do it on those sides like that. When you do it for footy, is it the same amount of time? Is it? Do you have a particular like do you have to give yourself in a particular state? Do you do it just pregame? Do you do it the night before?
In terms of pregame, I do do it normally when I walk out onto the ground because we will get there a couple of hours before the game. So my initial period of walking out into a ground, I will always have a moment to myself. So I do that every single game. But then it's sort of free flowing. Like the night before. There's sometimes where I really can't sleep or whatever, and I'll just tap into that. I'll
just sit there, eyes closed and just visualize something. Or you know, there might just be something that triggers you, and like I might be watching a game and a moment might happen and I'm thinking, I just want.
To another game.
Yeah no, no, no, that was last week. I'll be watching a game and I will see something happen in the game and I'll think, like it's triggered me in the feeling of playing, and I just think, I just want to harness that for a moment. I just want to take that moment how I'm feeling watching that and translate that into how I'm playing. To be honest, if I'd turn up to a game and I didn't feel like doing it, I wouldn't do it like coming back
to that chore thing. I'd never want it to feel like I have to do something to achieve something, because for me, that's the whole point.
Yeah, I love that. I mean, the WOODLOFE would like to sort of bring things back to how can we help every day people that perhaps not playing sport at
the rest delete level. And I think from a weight loss perspective, you know, so many people that I work with, I can't even remember the last time they're in good shape because perhaps been on this weight loss roller coaster for two or three decades, and every time they lose a little bit of self belief and it gets a little bit tougher, a little bit tougher, and it would be very hard for them to even picture what a healthier or fit or lean or whatever it might be
versus themself might be. So I think visualization could be a really powerful tool for them to sort of say, this is the happiness that it brings, or a feeling of satisfaction and pride that it brings when I achieve certain goals. This is how it feels when I feel good, And you know, I've got a bit of spring in my step and a bit of body, confidence back and all that kind of stuff. So I think that could be really like you say, just try it.
What you said there is massive that feeling of living the healthy life style. I think that when you're on that weight loss journey, and some people might not remember what they were like at the fittest or whatever they may be, it's sort of visualizing why you're doing it. You know, say it's because you want to be more active with your kids, right, visualizing you being outside with the kids in that moment, what that weight loss is going to bring to your life.
That's where the visualization comes in.
Because if you have moments where you're having a bad day or you can't be bother getting out of bed, that is a prime example where you think about and you fast forward to why you're actually on this process and feel it, feel the emotion of how amazing that scenario would be running around with your kids, like that's the driving force.
So that's just one example.
We're on the same page. Find you why, and then if you can visualize what that why brings to the forefront of your mind, so that every time you're having you know you've got that fork in the road moment. Can I be bothered doing this work. I do it to sit on the couch, or do I eat that or do I eat this? You find it, it's there. You can feel like you can reach out and touch it when you need it the most. You also meditate, Yes, I'd love to hear how an elite athlete like you
us as meditation to use it for relaxation. Do you use it for as part of your visualization? Do you use it for recovery?
In terms of the sports specific side, there are so many times as an athlete where coming back to playing out a game a thousand times in your head, you do get that before games, You'll be lying in bed when you have a big game the next day and you just can't sleep because you are replaying moment after moment what I'm going to do here and here and in that instance when I just want to quiet my mind and try and get some sleep, I use meditation a lot because when my brain is just going crazy,
I just need a moment to just silence everything, calm down and relax. So that's one instance where I use it a lot if I can't get to sleep before a game, and it almost always works. In terms of everyday life. I used to do it every single day, but I realized like I was really doing it as like a chore thing. And now for me, it's a couple of times a week when I feel like I just have to have some me time, and that's worked
way better for me personally. But I also have friends that do do it every single day and that works for them too. So it's coming back to what is the best fit for you. But it's just time where your mind's not going crazy, because unless you're sleeping, your mind's always working, you know what I mean. So meditations are only time where you can really focus on quieting your mind, just giving it a break. And it's crazy what a couple of minutes can actually do to freshen you up.
Love it all right, So let's change tact a little bit. You know, pioneer in a very fast growing sport, but it's got a long way to go before it gets to anywhere near the profile of the male AFL game is what is your thoughts on how far it's come in the short time that's been around. Where do you hope that it gets to? What part of that do you want to play and what do you say to those people out there that say, perhaps AFLW doesn't it.
I mean, I'm not one of those people, by the way, but I'm sure, sure, I'm sure, I'm sure you do still here?
Yeah, yeah, all the time. And in terms of the game, seven years.
Ago, I never thought that I would be playing elite football, you know, as a woman. And here we are six years later and the game has grown ridiculously. And the reason why I'm so proud is because we've done that
off the back of not much resourcing. And I know a lot of people will say the AFL put a lot of money in, which they did, but in terms of getting the amount of clubs off the ground and players playing at this elite level, we managed to do that with in my eyes, not much, which is amazing to think because I can't wait to see what the future brings, knowing that the backing is going.
To get more and more and more.
When I started playing, when I was really, really young, I was the only girl in my football team, the only girl in my football club, the whole club. To now there's kids playing, there's a whole pathway from Ozki all the way through. Now that is community changing, and to know that it's managed to grow in the space
of six years, Like six years isn't that long. We're competing at such a level that I'm proud to say, you know, there are people that come down to the games and they're just in awe and seeing young girls on the sideline and knowing that that's in their future is so amazing, and now also going to be a mum soon, knowing that that's going to be an option of her if she wants to go down that path.
I'm so proud to be a part.
Of that because it comes with the ups and downs of being the first and a lot of growing pains, and a lot of people thinking that we don't deserve to play, which I find is crazy because if any sport, this is Australia's code, And how can you have Australia's code with only fifty percent of the population playing it. I just find that insane. I've always felt that crazy because I wasn't born here. I was born in the UK, and over there I played soccer and women have always
been able to play. And moving over to this country where it's Australia's code, but then fifty percent of the population is it represented. Was always the craziest thing.
So what do you think the biggest mental hurdle for people to get their head around is? Do you think it's people don't like change and it's never been that way, so it's just too hard for them to get their head around and accepted.
Do you think.
Yeah, Honestly, even though people have opinions that irk me. I think everyone has the right to have their opinion. But my issue is when I question those and I say, but why do you feel that way? A lot of those people actually don't have answers, and that comes back to just they don't like change. I think at the start, when I first got into the league, I was so interested in just changing everyone's minds and no, we deserve to be here and plant the flag in the ground.
And I realized, like, there's no point putting the energy into those people because they're on their own journey. I'd rather put energy into the people that need to be inspired. That are you know, the young girls or even the young boys that are coming through and they're already a part of this community that they respect it and they understand it. That's where the energy needs to be put in. So in the end of the day, there's always going
to be one person. You know this twenty fast forward twenty years from now, you know, professional Women's League, There'll still be some people that don't believe we be there. So but what I hope is in the next few years is it'll be full time and all those girls will have the opportunity to solely focus on the sport because once that transition is made.
I mean from a pay perspective, a part time job pay. Yeah, And I don't know what the average AFLWAH is. It's forty dollars or something, it's four is that right?
I think the average is probably around about twelve thousand dollars probably, Yeah, that much for you know, a six months commitment. Well, this is the thing. It's six months commitment, but it's not.
But the season is about to go to double the games.
Yeah yeah.
And you know, once you're an athlete, you're an athlete, So it's not like it's you can an.
On and off.
Some of my teammates are paramedics, doctors, teachers, like laborers, and they're still managing to do that, and do that at a high level. Might add and then come to training after all of that and execute what they're doing, so it's only going to get better and the more support we get, and that includes viewerships, people actually coming to the games, people watching the games. All those things add to us fast tracking that and hopefully that will happen in a few more years.
When I hear you talk, you know what I love, you never say I it's we, And you're not just talking about your team. You're talking about your sport now and your future sport. You did say you didn't want to just bang the flag in the ground, but you clearly take so much pride. I mean, you won't respectfully you get the financial rewards that you deserve because you probably won't be being paid enough by the time you retire. Yeah, and not to retire to it, but even if you're.
Tiring six or seven years.
I mean, there will be the next generation of AFLW stars running around getting paid half a million dollars a year and you'll be an integral part of that, and that's something to be super proud of.
Thanks.
Honestly that it means a lot. I think that sometimes. I mean I can't speak on behalf of all the players because some might feel different, but for me personally, I fell in love with this game for the sport, and still to this day, I play for the sport itself.
And it's much bigger than me.
And every time I go out there, as much as I am, I'm very competitive and I want to win and all that. I always in the back of my mind, I know that, like you said, there's going to be so much that comes after me, and I have to I have to have that in my mind because it's a responsibility. It is a responsibility because there's so many people watching, and so many people are critiquing every moment, every single there's someone waiting for us to fail, and
they're waiting to cut our legs off. So it is really really important to me that we put the work in now because I want my daughter to grow up in a world where she doesn't know any different.
That's so important to me.
What are you? Powerful, passionate, refreshing perspective. Thank you so much for coming on the wood Life. I know we spoke about a few different topics and going to win here, there, and everywhere.
We probably might need to do a part too.
I think that's right.
We could. We could do a part two for sure, and off here I'm going to get some sas tips off you because I've asked me a couple of times to go on the show, and I haven't because I didn't want to leave my baby shit, I wonder thank you so much for coming on the woodlfe.
No, thank you for having me.
Honestly, an absolute pleasure, and I'm so grateful to be here.
Although the negative feedbacks of Bruina gets might be different from yours, we all have that internal monologue telling us that we can't, or we shouldn't, or we shouldn't even try in some cases. And I think the point here is we can do things that perhaps our internal monologue sometimes tell us that we can't. And of course there are many tools that we can use to help us break through these fears and doubts. I'd love to hear
from you. What have you been doing, whether it's visualization or something else, to help you break through those personal fears and doubts in your life. And you can do that by sending us a little voice note in the link in the show notes. Next on the WOODLFE, we're tackling temptations. A few weeks ago, I released an episode around getting on top of your snacking. But cleaning out that fridge or hiding the unhealthy snacks perhaps from yourself,
and putting healthy snacks in very easy to reach places. Now, for some of you, this has been a really easy change to make, and it's been fantastic to hear that many of you are already having success with it. But for others, I know there's a whole new array of challenges and temptations that come within the household, which brings me to this question.
My name's Chloe. I'm from Queensland, Brisbane. My question for you today is a mental nutritional one. I'm in this situation where I'm trying to make healthy eating choices. However, I live in a household with the family member that is a junk food addict and one who just loves to be a variety of goodies every day, healthy and
unhealthy types. So, as you imagine, our pantry bridge is filled with all kinds of goodies, and as much as I love them, I seem to find myself always falling into the temptations of eating their gouty history and then beating myself up over it. I've previously brought up the conversation about the situation, but the outcome is uncomfortable her feelings and the blame I means you to a lack
of self control. I've tried different ways to compromise, but it's not easy and sustainable, and listening to your previous episode about clearing out the pantry isn't quite the option for me. So my question for you today is how do I go about living? And with so many patients? Hey bye wow.
First of all, what a great question, Klaye. There's a lot of things to unpack there. First and foremost. I always say to people that you need to control your environment. You don't want your environment to control you. Now, I completely understand and appreciate that when you're in a sharehouse or more often, I see this with partners, particularly male partners.
To be honest, so females with male partners and the male partners are very reluctant to get on the let's get ourselves fitter and healthier wagon, and it's almost easier for them to try and drag someone down rather than
for them to try and lift themselves up. And when this is someone that you have been married to for a long time and you're in love with, that can be a very very tricky subject matter to bring up that you have to and listening to you, Chloe, and listening to the fact that you've tried to bring this up to your housemates, so I haven't say to people with their partners, and I think it is relevant to
you too. It needs to be a really, really serious chat because it's often one of these things that we bring up flippantly, or it's just one of those things that just naturally comes up in conversation. Hey guys, be great if you didn't cook those snack can you remember I'm trying to really take care of myself right now. And everyone's a bit sort of sarcastic or facetious or
self deprecating, and it doesn't necessarily get taken seriously. And where I've seen the greatest success is when people sit down their housemates or they loved one and say, look, I don't mind at all whether you do or don't join me on this journey. That's entirely your decision, which it is, but this is the most important thing to me right now. And if you care about me, which I know you do, I need your support on this.
So it's not about you not eating these things, but I want you to help me with my willpower, help me with my support, and where possible, please not eat these things in front of me. Now, ultimately, of course, they are not controlling what goes into your mouth. They are controlling the temptation. But they don't feed you. We feed ourselves. So ultimately we need to take responsibility for ourselves. But they are a piece of the puzzle and they
can help or hinder that challenge. So have that serious, deep, meaningful, important conversation. And if they still don't take you seriously, well, I think you need to question. And I know this sounds hush, you're free or perhaps even your relationship, which I don't think will happen. I think if it's brought up appropriately, with the right level of seriousness and no distractions, and you're really eyeballing this person and they can see how important it is to you, should have a breakthrough.
So the conversation, of course is an integral and important part, but ultimately it's up to us. The buck stops with us. You have to own these things. You can't play the blame game. You have to say, no matter what external circumstances, challenges, temptations, I am faced with, I am going to own what ultimately goes into my mouth when it comes to food or drink, and the buck stops with you. So I
hope that helps Chloe. An absolutely brilliant question, and I am sure that many many of our wood Life listeners have similar challenges and I hope that helps them too. If this type of advice is helping you, we'd love to hear from you. I'd love not just to hear future questions coming through, but I'd love our wood Life listeners to call in. Remember you can call in the links in the show notes. I'd love to hear that the advice that we have given is helping you make progress,
helping you get breakthroughs. You know, maybe there's some penny drop moments going off as things are really resonating with you, and please please please share your success stories with us. As always, thanks so much for listening and being a part of the wood Life. Another motivational moment coming up this Monday. We'll see you soon.