Great thoughts speak only to the thoughtful mind, but great actions speak to all mankind. Theodore Roosevelt Many times getting into fitness requires a lot of thought. That is because there are numerous obstacles to making the switch from the standard American lifestyle to one of fitness. Thinking should be the first step in removing all of them. Too often, however, we peruse data only to get excited over the possibility of really doing something at a much later point in time. This can mean casually searching the internet for others who are into fitness. Or, it can mean just browsing supplement options (but never buying), to say nothing of looking for different diet, possibly pricing meal plans such as those from Jenny Craig. It can even mean merely talking with (interviewing) the sales people from numerous health clubs. At best, this type of homework least will make us aware of our options. If thorough enough, it will enable us to eventually select the course of action which we find most comfortable.That is important. But it is not as important as dealing with what is inside of ourselves. These are the issues which will keep us from following through even on the best thought out of programs or the best of inspiration. Most of us can think of at least five of our own if we spend a little quiet time alone. But there are some which are relatively universal. The more standard ones include, but are not limited to, the following : 1.)the cause of our feeling that it may be time to quit and what to do about it; 2.)the costs of how to keep paying for the right diet, club membership and supplement routine 3.)the people who have the power to discourage us and how to persevere in spite of them; 4.)our specific fitness goal and the means whereby to measure monthly steps toward it; 5.)the inevitability of discouragement and how to keep from being held back by it; 6.)the demands of others on our time and how to circumvent them; 7.)the concern that we might be too old or sick to keep at it and what to do about it. We all know that we will encounter these issues at some point. Generally they occur long before we even start a fitness lifestyle,and resurface when we are in it. They are the reasons we put off starting and the reasons we use to justify quitting. That is why we have to think ahead, knowing that nothing will happen until they are dealt with, or if it does, we will quit when the unresolved ones resurface. What we need to do is to answer all of these together. That may require an entire day of intense thinking, but it is worth the time and energy. It is the only way that we can successfully start with the expectation that we will still be at it for a one year period. Or, if twelve months feels impossible, then at least six months. That is an amount double the standard March drop out rate, which the health clubs know all too well. Because bodies take longer to respond for those of us over over thirty, we really do need at least that amount of time to see changes. Accepting this is extremely important. We all suffer from the need for a quick fix. living in a world of wonder drugs, instant make-overs and new gadgets which promise results after only twenty minutes of every other day passive use. An environment like this perpetuates the Fountain of Youth myth--that fiction wherein we need only to take a swallow of magic water to turn back the clock and keep it there forever.As absurd as we know this is, we expect that a brand new wonder of modern science or technology will turn this fantasy into reality. Thus, when we do not see a marked change in the mirror in a fast enough period of time we become convinced that we are wasting our time and money. That is something which no responsible adult should do. Of course, the problem is over our definitions of fast enough. In most cases, this is just not long enough. This is especially true when it comes to fitness. How long should we give ourselves? Again, six months if we must, but a year is better. That means no deviations, whatsoever, translating into no time off to complete projects at the office, no birthday celebrations or holidays, no missing of daily supplements, no splurges on the grocery store food which just cannot be lived without. Or, if there are any lapses from this rigor, then making them up by the end of the week--probably on a Saturday. That is the way that champions train; and it is the way that we need to think of what we are doing. There is no other way to attain the fitness goal we choose. Hard work and persistence are mandatory, onerous as that may sound. The good news is that daily fitness actually becomes easier with time. The longer we are at it, the more we even get to look forward to it. That is probably because we really do improve physically, assuming we really stay at it. That is the single most important factor in things getting easier than when we first start out. To many that is counter-intuitive, but that is how it is. In other words, good old fashioned hard work does not get us exhausted or burnt out. Nor does it age us prematurely. Rather it strengthens us--makes us more fit. That means getting trimmer, more long lasting and resilient the more we work at it The only way to have this happen is to get into a fitness lifestyle, and to stay at it. That first requires thinking to respond to all of the questions or anticipated objections which we will have. But after all the homework is done, it then requires action. This will naturally come. If it does not there is still a nagging doubt which must be taken care of. We simply have to do all of our homework. There is no other way if we want to be different tomorrow than we are today. Nothing can stand in our way-- not the feeling that we have chosen the wrong health club, not the fear that we cannot afford the necessary supplements, not the feeling that we cannot get along without grocery store food, not the fear that our family will hold us back by their demands on us, etc. These issues and more need to be addressed on the front end to keep us at fitness for at least six months, if not a year. For further thought on what stands in our way and what to do about it order my e-book "Think and Grow Fit."
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