Imagine that you weigh what you want to weigh. Have the definition you want, wear the size of clothes you want, look in the mirror or at pictures of yourself and you are happy with what you see.
Physically you believe in your abilities. You know that if you had to take the stairs to the 5th floor you could. If your kid wanted you to play soccer with her you could actually play and not just stand there and kick the ball. If your dog got out of its collar and took of running, you could chase it.
Mentally you are happy with your body. You know you are eating good, nutritious foods. You take care of your recovery. You see some veins, or definition in your arms, stomach, or legs. You see old pictures of yourself and are shocked there is such a difference between you now and the old you.
Emotionally you are proud. You might have been overweight or out of shape at some point in your life, but you have tried, failed, and learned what to do. You have put in the time of working out, waking up early, staying up late, giving up bad habits. It wasn’t always easy or fun, but it was always worth it.
Now imagine WHY you don’t have all of those things. Why are you unhappy when you see yourself in the mirror, why are you not proud, why do you not believe in your abilities.
I’ll cut to the chase. In the over 10 years I have been coaching people in health and fitness there are hundreds of excuses I have heard why people just can’t get in shape. Two of the most popular, they don’t have the time or the money.
Those are the excuses, but there is only one reason people can’t get to where they want to be.
Choices.
You have to eat. You choose to eat poorly or healthy.
You have to wake up. You choose to wake up in time for the gym or sleep in.
You have to fill your day with things. You choose if that is social media or going on a walk.
You have to buy food. You choose if you buy steak or oven bake pizzas.
The only real excuse is, “I just have not made the right choices”.
Short on time? You don’t have to start with a workout that takes an hour or more. Do a workout for 30 minutes, or even 5 or 10.
Don’t have the money to spend on a CrossFit membership? You don’t need a gym membership to workout. You have a phone, with the internet and AI you have access to more workouts than you would ever be able to do in your life even if you were working out 24/7.
The things we have in life and the things we want in life are only separated by the choices we make. Sometimes choices can be tough, we can feel alone, or like no matter what it’s not the right choice. We give up time with our kids to go to the gym, we have to tell them no to a toy we want because we bought organic fruit this week instead of GMO’s.
But being fit and being healthy isn’t selfish. It allows you to give more of yourself to your friends, and family. It allows you to do things with them that the old you couldn’t. The more disciplined choices you make the more freedom in your choices you have. You can say yes to those things that before might have been impossible or uncomfortable. You can go hiking with them, help move the swingset in the yard, move the Christmas decorations to the attic, walk around that city you are visiting.
Think about the life you imagined at the beginning of this. The one where you’re happy with what you see in the mirror, proud of your body, and confident in what you can do. That future isn’t a fantasy; it’s a direct result of the choices you make every single day.
You have the power to choose to eat healthy foods, to move your body, and to prioritize your health. Those choices, no matter how small they seem, add up. They lead to the physical ability to play with your kids without getting winded, the mental satisfaction of knowing you’re nourishing your body, and the emotional pride of overcoming challenges.
Your future self is waiting. What will you choose today to get there?
