Are you thinking about putting off your goal to shred fat, build muscle, or transform your body until after the holidays are over?
Why wait?
Everybody’s got the same 24 hours in a day to get stuff done. You can make the most of it, or you can sit around making excuses and squander it.
Ever seen the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off?[1]
It’s a cult-classic comedy about a high-school kid who realizes there’s more to life than just:
- Going through the motions
- Accepting mediocrity
- Doing the same thing every day expecting different results.
In the movie, Bueller develops an elaborate scheme to skip school, avoid getting caught, and enjoy a day outside the classroom.
“Life moves pretty fast,” says Bueller. “If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
And he’s right.
If you’ve been thinking about making a change, what’s stopping you from getting started?
- Money
- Age
- Time
- Self-discipline
- Fear
- Lack of experience
In most cases, whatever reason you cough up for not getting started today is really just an excuse.
For example, after a terrible motocross accident a few years ago, my ankle was completed fused in a last-resort surgery to save my leg.
I could have quit riding competitively after that, but I didn’t. The season wasn’t over. I wasn’t sure how the next race would turn out, but I decided to give it a try.
And you know what, I took second among the best motocross riders in whole of Sydney.
Let go of your excuses, and you’ll be able to accomplish a lot more than you realize.
Your health and fitness potential
What if you could override that voice in your head that tries to convince you to leave your health and fitness goals for another day?
What could you accomplish in a week, a month, a year?
And how would hitting those milestones like losing weight, getting shredded, or setting PRs make you feel?
You really have to experience it yourself. But I can tell you, it’s pretty powerful to work hard, see results, and accomplish a goal.
That kind of success can even be addictive in a positive way that builds confidence, drives you to keep going, and motivates you to set new goals.
Tap Into ‘Hurricane’ Force Motivation
Julia Hawkins decided she wanted to be a runner, even though she didn’t have any real training, coaching, or experience running races.[2]
But that was hardly enough to stop her from trying. And it’s one reason she earned the nickname, “The Hurricane.”
When the Louisiana native turned 100 years old, she decided to become a runner. (You read her age right. It’s not a typo.)
She put on a pair of spandex, some running shoes, and her favorite Team USA T-shirt, and started hustling. At first it was just working in the yard and running inside to answer the phone.
And with that little dose of confidence, she decided to do more running.
She clocked a 40.12-second time for the 100-meter dash at the U.S. Track & Field outdoor championship for seniors earlier this year.
She broke the world record in another 100-meter dash, covering the distance in 39.62 seconds.
And it all started with a simple goal, followed by taking action.
The 4-Step Do-It-Now Action Plan
Instead of putting off your health and fitness goals until 2018, get started right now.
I get it. There’s a good chance holiday craziness might steer you off course for a day or two.
But the sooner you start working on developing healthy habits, working out, and eating right, the sooner you’ll accomplish your goal.
Get started, and take action today. Here’s how:
1. Write down your health and fitness goals. Who says you have to wait until Jan. 1 to do this?[3] Be specific. What do you want to accomplish? For example:
- Lose 10 pounds in a month
- Lower your body fat by 10 percent in three months
- Reduce your waist size by six inches in six months or less
- Set a PR for [name the exercise: bench press, squat, deadlift, etc.]
2. Ask for help. If you don’t have a nutrition plan or workout to follow designed to help you accomplish your goal, get help. For example, my customized 8-week and 12-week plans have helped thousands of people.
3. Start. One you have a plan in place, get started. When you’re sitting on the couch watching TV, thinking it would be nice if you were stronger, leaner, or more muscular, it’s hard to see how powerful taking action can be.
But it’s one of the most powerful steps you can take.
Plan one workout. Then another. Prepare one healthy meal, and then another.
That’s how you learn, make progress, and accomplish your health and fitness goals.
4. Be accountable. Share your plan with someone, like all the people with similar health and fitness goals in my private Facebook group. You’ll get encouragement and support to stay motivated. And if you do get off track, skip a workout, or go on a cheat-meal binge, having a personal trainer or support group on your side can help you get back to crushing your goals.
Have a health and fitness goal on your bucket list that you’ve been thinking about for a long time? What are you waiting for?
Now is always the best time to start your fitness journey.
References
- Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Director John Hughes. Paramount Pictures, 1986. From: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
- Butler, S.L. (2017). 101-year-old champion after race: “I missed my nap for this.” Runner’s World. From: https://www.runnersworld.com/older-runners/101-year-old-champion-after-race-i-missed-my-nap-for-this.
- Norcross, J.C., et al. (2002). Auld lang syne: Sucess perdictors, change processes, and self-reported outcomes of New Year’s resolvers and non-resolvers. Journal of Clinical Psychology. From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11920693