No shortcuts

WHEN traveling, most of us want to reach our destination as fast or early as we can. That’s why taking shortcuts may be desirable, even a wise plan. In changing your life, however, cutting corners is simply foolish. Much as I’d like to tell you that there’s an easy way to lose weight and keep it off, there is no easy way.

Now, be honest. Have you tried miracle schemes, diet, pills, slimming gadgets, creams or the like that promise to whittle your body down without any work on your part at all? Even if you have not fallen for any of these gimmicks of the diet trade, ask yourself if you ever really work hard to achieve your goals. It doesn’t even have to be weight loss related. It could be anything from something at work to something in your home life.

Are you always looking to accomplish something by doing as little effort as possible? How many times have you taken shortcuts or done less than your best when trying to achieve something? How did it work out? Were you satisfied with the results? Would you say you were successful? Be honest about why you took the easy route. Has it been a lifelong habit or did something happen to change the way you approach a challenge? Ask yourself. Why you cut corners? Out of laziness? Impatience? Fear of failing if you take a more challenging path?

To get anywhere in life you have to be dedicated and hardworking. Cutting corners is a sure road to failure. If you hope to accomplish anything worthwhile, you’ve got to do the work. And I don’t mean that you have to work at weight loss (though of course, you do). Putting forth a valiant effort is the prime ingredient for success in everything, from maintaining a loving relationship and raising a family to advancing in corner. The hard workers succeed; the corner cutters typically do not.

So why aren’t you working hard? If laziness is your problem, you need up to pick up yourself and get going. Realize too, that energy begets energy. You know that old saying, “If you want something done, give it to a busy person.” The more you do, the more you can do and I believe you can do and I believe the same holds true when it comes up putting effort into reaching a goal. Once you get going, working hard will be easier for you. You’ll get into it and the lazy person in your past will seem like a stranger.

If impatience is your problem, consider that most accomplishments achieved overnight tend to fall apart just as rapidly. Patience as they say is a virtue and while taking shortcuts may get you some rapid results, they’re not results that will be likely to stick around. Some people cut corners for an entirely

different reasons. They feel that they’re just not

capable of doing the work. If that’s true in your case, you’ve got to work on building your confidence.

Believe in yourself. The work ahead may be hard but you’ll be taking it one step at a time which will make it easier. I always think one of my clients Jon Alfonso who three years ago suffered stroke with his half body paralyzed for a month. But because of his strong determination to get back in shape he was able to overcome his handicap and now he is fully recovered and strong as a bull. He didn’t jump out of bed and head for lifting heavy weights. He went step by step building on each small success. That’s what you’re going to do too.

Making excuses

Do you always have a reason for not making good on your commitments? Excuse makers are people who always find a reason for not doing what they have committed to do; whether that commitment was to themselves or to others. Excuse makers are never at a loss for a creative reason for their actions, but when you examine that justification it almost always breaks down.

Excuses are big obstacles in the road to change, though you may not even be aware that you’re making them. Instead, you may just view as “reasons.” When you’re late for an appointment or you break a promise to do somebody a favor, do you say: “I was late for lunch because of the traffic” when the real reason is “I was late for lunch because even though I know there is always traffic at this hour, I was talking on the phone and didn’t leave early enough.” And the bottom line was: “I was late for lunch

because I put my desire to continue a conversation before someone else’s desire not to sit alone waiting at a table for a half hour.”

If you’re capable of making excuses like that, you are probably also capable of making excuses for not exercising and eating right. How many times you have lied to yourself about why you didn’t make it to the gym or why you ended up ordering a pizza for dinner? Do you tell yourself things like: “Well. my ankle was kind of hurting and that’s what kids wanted for dinner” instead of admitting that: “I just didn’t feel like working out and that’s what I wanted for dinner.”

Excuses are a sure sign that you’re not ready to do the hard work of change that lies in front of you. On the other hand, if you’re willing to call yourself on your excuses and see them for what they are—diversionary tactics that you’re using to keep yourself from feeling awful about making bad excuses or ways to defend your current way of life—then there’s hope. You need to realize that making excuses affects not just you but others in your life. Sometimes excuses can be legitimate but mostly they’re just dishonest. If you’re always giving yourself a pass (and asking other people to do the same), you’re never going to get anywhere.

People who succeed of keeping their body fit and losing weight give up making excuses. They don’t let themselves off the hook. They’re not perfect but when they are not, they take responsibility for their actions and then move on.

Consistency

It doesn’t matter what kind or how much exercise you do as long as you’re consistent about it. I don’t quite agree. If you’re looking to make your body over, it does matter what and how much of it you do. But I do agree that consistency is the key. You really need to exercise regularly. Exercise must be as integral to your life as taking a daily shower and brushing your teeth. If you are a long time regular exerciser, you’re probably already learned that you need to build it into your life and stay with it. If you have never exercised or have started and stepped a hundred times, you need to commit to maintaining a consistent program. Of course, there will be occasions when you miss a workout or even two. However, it is essential that you not let it turn into three, four, or even more days. It is not common for people who have missed their workouts to feel angry at themselves for slipping up then to let that anger boil up into defeat. “Why keep at it when I obviously can’t stick to a schedule?” They asked themselves. That’s the absolute wrong attitude. So you missed a few workouts? You’re not going to lose a lot of fitness in a few days, but you will if you let it stretch into a week or more. That will take you back to square one and it will be all that much harder when you begin again.

Don’t let missed workouts make you feel as if you might as well eat whatever you want because you have to start over anyway. Be 99 percent consistent, deal with the little inconsistencies and get back on track. Pledge to yourself right now that when you embark upon in an exercise program you’re in it

regularly for at least three times a week. Stay with it and it will be all that much easier to transition into being active for the rest of your life.