Train Your Brain
Fitness is 99% mental, and 99% of people don’t possess the mental toughness necessary to maintain discipline and consistency in a culture run by unhealthy temptations. The reason the 1% succeeds is because they do what most people prove unable to do - not because they’re any different than anyone else on a level of potential, but because they’ve tapped into the self-awareness required to keep going when it’s more appealing to stop.
Commonalities between the few and the many that need to be mastered in order to succeed:
Barriers - We all have obstacles and the first step to overcoming them is to decide whether you want to let them cripple you or fuel you. The excuse that there’s not enough time is the biggest cop out of them all, because we all have the same hours in a day. High performing people actually manage to do way more than the guy that skips the workout due to “lack of time.”
Priorities - You are always going to prioritize execution where you see the most value - I recognize that I get one shot at this life, and that includes one body. If I want to experience life to the fullest, I need to care for the vessel I’m inside or it isn’t going to hold up to stress, workload, or aging. Make health and wellness one of your non-negotiables - this includes nutrition, exercise, mental health, stress management, etc.
Pain Points - Ultimately, if the pain of staying right where you are isn’t bigger than the pain required to make a change, you won’t. The majority of people take the easy way out. Don’t be like everyone else.
No Excuses - We are all tired sometimes, we all do a lot and bear many burdens, but staying up late or having a busy day is always more reason for me to make sure I get my workout in and stay on my nutrition - it gives me energy, provides a dopamine hit, and boosts metabolism. Making excuses and skipping the healthy choices results in a snowball effect… it becomes easier to justify it with each difficult circumstance in the future.
Discipline - Do what you should over what you want. The people that win at life delay gratification now for a greater reward later. Save and invest your money now so you have more of it later. Eat well now so you can indulge guilt free on a set day. Exercise now so later on you age with grace… If you do these things, your discipline will have a ripple effect on other areas of your wellness, such as physique (which is a mega perk of being disciplined for the right reasons).
This list isn’t exhaustive, but these things are required to get you on a path to success in your fitness and in life. You haven’t earn days off yet, so certainly aim for harmony in your life, but don’t think putting in 50% of the work is going to give you 100% of the results.