By now many of you know where I stand:
All the health and fitness info in the world is useless without developing the determination
to put it into place [which is made even more difficult by a world that lies about what's
healthy and pressures us to do the opposite of what's best for our heath and happiness].
So how does one finally succeed, where 95% of others fail?
You start by keeping it simple, because simple is easy.
Remember, regardless of how you choose to go about transforming your body and
improving your health, it’s always going to come down to two things:
Eating natural food and challenging yourself physically.
We’ll touch on food another day, today let’s talk about a few ways to get- and stay active.
First, keep in mind that exercise is relative to the individual. Meaning it’s difficult to
suddenly do the workout routine of a fitness model that stays in shape for a living.
Instead, get started by doing something you enjoy [and be sure to talk to your doctor first].
It doesn’t matter what it is, what matters is it fits your life- and you’ll actually do it.
The mistake I see a lot of people making is trying to do too much, too soon- and giving up
because the change is too radical from what they’re used to. If you’ve haven’t been active
for a long time, taking up marathon training is going to be extremely mentally challenging.
If you already have that sort of mental determination, you’re a moon shot ahead. If you
don’t, that doesn’t matter.
What matters is you do something every day, until you develop the determination to do something more challenging.
Your determination and discipline are like muscles, they take time to grow stronger. I also
read somewhere that you only have a “fixed amount” of willpower each day.
Meaning it’s easier to do something you like, instead of trying to force yourself to do
something you hate, especially when you’re just starting out.
I can attest to this. EVERY time I went to lose weight by starting with a running routine, I
ALWAYS failed. I don’t like running, it feels awkward and cumbersome for me.
My discipline would last anywhere between one day and a few weeks. However, now I
don’t have that big of an issue with running. When I feel it’s time to go for a run, I “just do
it” no big self discipline reserves needed.
The running didn’t change, I changed.
I still don’t like it all that much. It still feels awkward and cumbersome. But what changed
was my discipline level.
I finally succeeded in getting [and staying] in shape for one main reason: Instead of doing
something too mentally difficult for me like running, I did something that didn’t feel so
challenging; using a stair stepper machine in front of a computer or TV.
This way I could “ease” myself into better habits.
Basically, it took a lot less self discipline to start out nice and slow on a stair machine, in
an air conditioned room, watching some favorite TV shows; than it did trying to force
myself to run in the brutal Florida heat.
Over time, I made my stair machine workouts more and more challenging. However, it
was a gradual process.
That’s because while I was conditioning my formally unused body, I was also
conditioning my formally unchallenged mind.
It took time, but now I realize that unless I challenge myself physically AND mentally on
a daily basis, I’m going to somehow shortchange my own future.
So if you’re just starting out, don’t feel bad about having to start out slow. Slow and steady
progress is a million times better than a big start / quick give up.
If you’ve already started, it’s critical you DO NOT QUIT.
Even if you miss a few days. Even if you’ve missed a few weeks or months. Get started
again. Your brain hasn’t learned how good it feels yet, but it does remember the pain of
starting out.
Unless you press on, your mind will think getting fit feels hard forever, when it only feels
hard in the beginning, while you’re taking actions not used to.
If you don’t give up, it WILL get easier. Very soon you’ll be doing it without a second
thought. And just like me, you’ll wonder how you made something so important and so
easy, so difficult.
Remember, it’s not the food or exercises that change your life…
It’s developing the determination to change what you’re doing that’s unhealthy.
It’s “seeing” your weaknesses and not giving up until they’re gone. That’s what transforms
not only your body, but your life and future as well.
Why? Because you’re doing something only 5% of people can do:
Becoming the one in control of extremely powerful and relentlessly exploited
emotions.
And when you’re the one in control, not the food, not the advertising, not the “old” you
that says change isn’t worth it…
Is when you go way beyond what’s in the mirror and live with a clarity and freedom that’s
priceless.
To your health, success, may God bless, and seize the day.
Michael
Click here to watch a free video presentation on the New Body New Life Program
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