"Those who don't make time for regular exercise will eventually have to make time for illness"
-Edward Stanley
This chapter is a bit different because I spent part of my day chatting with someone that lost an immediate family member...
I want to start off by saying this: You CAN learn from your own experiences, but that is the MOST expensive way.
In all areas of life, business, sports, education, you name it, it's well know that you can shorten your learning curve by learning from the mistakes of others. Someone else has already paid the price for you, now learn from it. In fact, it's almost insulting not to learn from the lesson that they paid for.
NO ONE ELSE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SUCCESS - or LACK thereof.
Don't get me wrong, one way of learning to do something right is to do it wrong first, but this isn't your bank account or something that can necessarily be replenished, when it comes to health, it's your life you're gambling with. Why not stack the deck in your FAVOR?
Don't know where to start? Well, look at all the people who have bodies in shapes you DON'T want to have, and avoid their habits. If you wanted to be rich would you indulge in the same habits as broke people? Model the masters.
Let's face it, getting in shape, getting healthy is SIMPLE. (Note: I didn't say EASY - getting fit, sexy and healthy is HARD WORK, and that's what makes it worth it, and that's why so FEW are where they want to be.) Regardless of how hard it is, it is worth it. But, like I was saying, the path is SIMPLE. Nutrition is simple, exercising is simple.
It doesn't matter what your circumstances are, if you want it bad enough, if you’re at a point where enough is enough, you could make the change you wanted.
So, what's missing?
If it's so simple, why isn't everyone fit, sexy, healthy, athletic, etc?
Two big things are missing... and they go hand in hand.
Let me just say one thing right off the bat...
CONSISTENCY is CHARACTER.
It's who you are. It's what sets you apart. It's what makes your word mean something. It's the difference between someone who says they are going to commit and does NO MATTER WHAT, and someone who quits when the going gets tough. Again, consistency is character.
And want to know what sucks? This whole "start-stop-start-stop" thing (especially around New Years) is a HUGE killer of progress.
Remember: no struggle = no progress.
The choices you make, make you. And, surprise, the choice is yours.
You can live the life of your dreams, or you can live the life of quiet desperation.
Want to know why people eventually stop trying and give up? It has nothing to do with will power or anything like that - it's because with every failed attempt, with every "give up", their self-confidence and their self-esteem takes a hit.
Only a few of those failures and man, this isn’t fun anymore!
Do you want to know the ultimate cure? RESOLVE to stick to your goals. RESOLVE to make your word mean something. RESOLVE to live by your plan, and not your feelings.
Listen, everyone's so obsessed with how they feel, in the moment and that's holding you back. There are times when I don't FEEL like working out, but guess what? I work out. Why? Because I made a plan and I have goals to reach with no time to waste – whether I feel like it or not.
One of the BEST ways to build your confidence and self-esteem is to DO what you say you are going to DO!
Be HARD on yourself, and life will be easier on you. Be EASY on yourself, and life will be infinitely harder.
When I was growing up my father always told me that I should be harder on myself than anyone else. I should demand more of myself at every moment…
Jim Rohn says “We must all suffer one of two things: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.”
Now, don't get it twisted! I am NOT saying to be hard on yourself in a NEGATIVE sense, that would be highly demoralizing - yet that's what many do, they beat themselves up!
When I say be hard on yourself, I mean don’t sell yourself short. Raise the bar, tell yourself that you are better than this, that you can do this, don't settle, you can step up, rise and go for it, you’ve got this.
Too tired to work? No, you got this, you have goals, you have plans, and you must stick with it.
Too tired to play with the kids? Too bad, pull up your pants and start chasing them. I demand more from myself - my kids deserve it – and so should you.
Too tired to workout? Tough, I didn't take a break from eating, so I'm not taking a break from working out.
I think you get the point
My feelings don't dictate my life, my goals do. I plan my life, I don't let life happen to me.
Like Tony Robbins says “It's in the moment of decision your destiny is shaped.”
And guess what, 99% of the time, it's not the MAJOR decisions that change your destiny, it's the little ones. Like choosing NOT to workout, or choosing to over indulge, for instance, added one over the other that changes your destiny.
I challenge you to step up and decide exactly where you want to go, what you want to do and how you want to live your life and then STICK TO THE PLAN.
Sure, the approach might change, it’s good to be flexible in your approach, but be definite in your destination.
Fuzzy goals? Odds of success are next to zip. You need to be absolutely clear on what you want for yourself. If you don't know where you are going I can guarantee you that you will end up somewhere else.
Like Peter Voogd says "The most important thing you should protect at all times is your standards. Don't let them slip up!"
Remember, lack of consistency is the subtle but great killer of dreams.
The beginning of the year is always the same, everywhere I turn someone’s talking about New Years resolutions and everyone on social media is commenting about it. Businesses are feeding us their "come to us, we'll make your dreams come true!!!!" crap, but let's face it, YOU, and only you can ever make YOUR dreams come true.
Don't join the heard blabbing about what you're going to try and do for a week or two this January. It's not going to work. In fact, if you want to have fun, save everyone else’s resolutions that they posted on social media and re-share their post a few weeks from now asking for an update. (Okay, don't do that you might tick off a few folks and lose some friends!)
Here's my challenge to you, get ultimate CLARITY on what you want. Don't just write something silly on a napkin like "get fit" or "lose weight". Be specific, be exact and put dates down. Do it right.
If you're going to take the time to do it, you might as well do it right.
Actually, you should stop reading for a moment and write some goals down!
Once you've gotten your goals down, you need to follow that up with consistent action. NEVER leave the site of a goal without doing something towards its attainment.
RAISE YOUR STANDARDS. You've got this.
This is a fresh start.
This is a clean slate.
Make this year you're BEST year yet.
The year you STEP UP.
The year you do what needs to be done.
The year you GET WHAT YOU WANT.
The year you get what you DESERVE.
The year you declare "I DID IT!"
Regardless of past failed attempts, this is YOUR YEAR. I believe in you, now step up and make things happen
To your success,
Al