Welcome to the second full week of 2016.  The gyms are beginning to empty out again as resolutioners are beginning to lose their steam.  It is always easy to start, and get into the gym a few days before that first temptation arises and you’re forced to miss a day at the gym.  Every year I see the so-called resolutioners and remember the days when I fell into that category.  More than once I took advantage of the new-year sales and signed up for a membership which was used heavily in the first few days of the year and then sporadically at best throughout the rest of the year.

The first change one must make before attempting a physical change is a mental one.  They have to get themselves to a point mentally where they won’t let anything stand in their way of success.  They need to carve time out of their day and let that be their time to workout, or meal plan, or whatever it is that they are hoping to accomplish.  Far too often, people talk a big game but then when it comes time to put in the effort, they crumble.

People put far too much pressure on themselves by saying things like “I want to lose 100 pounds” or I want to put on 15 pounds of muscle.  On top of that, in today’s society where everything is at your fingertips and comes instantly, people are not satisfied with having to wait while the process is ongoing.  Frustration sets in that goals are not met quickly, and people give up on what they could have achieved had they simply embraced the process.  Changing yourself is a journey of a thousand miles, not a quick 100m sprint.  It may take weeks, months, or even years to truly get where you want to go.

If you embrace the idea that it is a journey, and can (will) take time, you can definitely have great success.  However, if you expect instant results,  you will quickly become frustrated with the process and give up without reaching your potential.

Hanging on the door of my workout room at home is a sign that says “Embrace the Journey.” I use it as a reminder that the results I want will not simply happen overnight, and that it may take time to get there.  However, I know and expect it to take time, and that lets me be at peace with the process.  I know I will have good days and bad, good weeks and not so good weeks, but at the end of the day, I am pushing myself toward my goals, and not stopping until I get there.