It’s interesting to me how people can perceive my consistent dedication to a healthy lifestyle as a ‘gift’ or ‘talent.’
It is neither of those things.
I have spent over ten years in the gym – sometimes falling off the bandwagon for several months at a time, yo-yo dieting, and falling victim to a lot of the mainstream scare tactics.
It’s taken me A LOT of trial and error to get to the point where I am right now.
I have struggled. And I continue to struggle.
I don’t always wake up eager to workout or eat something that supports my goals.
And trust me when I say, I have tried countless dietary short-cuts to achieve fat loss. This tactic only left me more upset and frustrated. Because there are NO SHORTCUTS.
The best investment I ever made was in myself.
I hired a Coach for nutritional purposes and then I started working out with people who knew more than I did. I learned so much from these individuals that eventually I no longer had to rely on them for their expertise.
I researched, experimented, and worked hard to gain knowledge and formulate opinions based on my own experience. To the point that I was now someone in the gym people approached for tips.
These aren’t skills I was born with. I have had to practice, fall down, pick myself up, try again, fall down, dust myself off, and keep going.
The ONLY difference between me and those who say my dedication is a ‘gift’ or a ‘talent’ is that I didn’t give up on myself.
I kept going.
Even when I didn’t want to. Even after a long day of work. Even after a devastating break-up. Even when I was in pain. Even as a single parent. I always picked myself up and kept going.
I NEVER gave up on myself.
And you can’t buy that kind of commitment. It’s something you have to harvest within yourself.
Like any skill, it takes practice, practice, and more practice. Just don’t give up and you will eventually become successful.