This one’s for you - we need to talk.

It's a bright and early morning and I can't get you out of my head.

For about 2 weeks now (maybe more, maybe less) it seems something is off - and I know what it is, no matter how much you try and hide it.

When you entered my world, you were as motivated as ever. Challenging yourself, pushing yourself beyond your comfort zone, focusing on what you wanted and busting your butt to get it.

But that has changed.

The energy faded.

The excitement drifted away.

The focus started shifting.

The effort that seemed so effortless at the beginning now seems like a lot of work.

The passion you started with that just came naturally seems to have phased out.

Feelings and thoughts of self-doubt have started to creep back in, and your odds of success started to feel less possible, and that hurts.

I think what hurts the most was when the HOPE faded with it.

At the starting, almost without any effort, you were filled with hope, and you were backing that with action. In fact, it was more than hope - It's almost like you knew you COULD NOT FAIL.

But that fades away.

It always does.

In all areas of life, the initial drive fades away.  Life, business, relationships, school, sports, fitness - everything.

But that means absolutely NOTHING about your odds of succeeding.

In fact, to think that you should or will feel hopeful, passionate, and driven throughout the entire journey is naive.

It's like the person who complains day in and day out that people should learn how to drive.

Or the person who wishes politicians would change.

Or that people wouldn't be so negative.

Or...

Or...

Or...

These are facts of life, and it's naive to think otherwise. There will always be bad drivers, there will always be bad politicians, there will always be negative people, etc.

Is that being a "downer"? No not at all. In fact, there's a huge "relief" in letting go of the road rage when you accept that some people will always cut you off. That's life. That's how it has always been and how it will always be. And they won't change because that's who they are, they are Cutter-Offers.

That's true freedom. For something to be, to exist, yet not affect you or your outlook on life.

What does this have to do with you?

I feel like you’re forgetting that you don't always have to be cheery and packed with enthusiasm about your health and fitness goals. The fact is that sometimes getting to the gym can feel like the hardest task on the planet. You don't have to be pumped up to eat vegetables and guess what, we ALL whine and complain sometimes about eating healthy and start wondering why every other slim and healthy person on the planet can eat whatever the hell they want but you just look at food and you gain weight!

Here's a reminder: EVERYONE has ups and downs, the difference is whether you stay down or rise up.

I say reminder because you already know this. Everyone knows this.

Yet far too often people start a program then quit and go back to the "this ain't working”, “I can't do this”, “I’m not good enough”, “I’m not strong enough” or “I’m meant to be fat".

Okay, that may not be what you say out loud but it's what you say internally.

On the outside, to everyone else, it's your work, you're too busy, it's the traffic to get here, it’s too expensive,  it's your condition, it's this and it’s that.

You see reasons, logical, true reasons. But deep inside, they are excuses.

Listen, WHY do you think for centuries we've been taught not to give up? Haven’t you ever heard your parents say “don’t give up”?

Because giving up on yourself has NOTHING to do with whether or not you will "attain the goal" but EVERYTHING to do with your self-talk, with the lesson you are teaching yourself, with what you are telling yourself about you when you fail.

It's not the fact that you don't reach the goal that slowly kills your hope and drive, it's the fact that you gave up.

Remember: Cowards never start, the WEAK never finish, WINNERS never quit.

Your MIND knows that and that's why quitting chews up our souls.

Now, there's some good news in this chapter...

All of these feelings can be instantly reversed by focusing on your goals, even if you need to adjust them into smaller, bite size chunks to build some "mini successes" under your belt and pushing forward, and pressing onward

So, keep pushing. Keep your chin up. Keep striving towards your goals.

Set your goals, commit to a schedule, for a pre-set  amount of time, weight, etc. and DO NOT STOP until you are where you want to be.

Don't stop until you are proud.

This may not apply to everyone reading this chapter, but I know YOU believe in others. You have a deep desire to help others succeed and you believe they have it in them to succeed. It's time for you to believe in yourself the way you believe in others, even before they believe in themselves.

To your success, 

Al