“Don’t give up“… it’s such a basic message.
A message we’ve all heard at some point.
The message itself is a simple one.
Abiding by it however, not so much.
When it comes to goals, staying the course, and sticking it out…
There’s nothing easy about not giving up.
Not Giving Up Is Hard To Do
For the past 6 weeks, I’ve gotten back into full swing with weight training.
I’m weight training 5 days per week.
Monday through Thursday I’m in the gym at 5am and on Friday’s I’m in there at 4am.
I am matching the same type of intensity and schedule I followed last year when training for my Men’s Physique Competition.
At the same time, I’m also training for a half marathon that I’m running in three weeks.
A few days per week, I get my weight training done in the morning and then my training run done in the afternoon.
Always Run The Last Mile
On Wednesday this week, as I was running a 4 mile training run in the afternoon… It was hot out and I was hot, tired, and ready to just call it good after 3 miles.
My thoughts were, “You’re doing a lot man, you already worked out this morning, your tired, it’s hot out, you already ran 3 miles, just walk and relax now, no need to finish that last mile.
Ah yes, that ever so comforting thought that does absolutely nothing for me other than rob me of my glory, my confidence, my accomplishments and victories.
As that thought crossed my mind to just walk that last mile, I actually got pissed at the thought and had a message for it and that message was…
“Fuck off!”
Have you ever had those thoughts telling you to slow down, ease up, working hard to convince you to give up and how much better and easier it’ll feel to “just walk” that last mile?
Chances are you have, we all have them.
Question is, do you listen to those thoughts or do you give it the middle finger and keep pushing on, moving forward, and making progress?
Don’t Give Up, Don’t Give In
I refuse to listen to those thoughts and I encourage you to do the same.
If we give up on that last mile, where else in our lives will we give up when things get tough, hard, and challenging?
What mindset are we creating for ourselves that trains us to think, “when the going gets tough, slow down, take a break, or just give up.“
Last I checked, I thought it was “when the going gets tough, that the tough get going.“
The easier path will always sound, look, and feel more attractive in the short term.
But it’s also the easier path that leads to average, mediocrity, and the idea of “good enough“.
When it comes to you, your health, and your happiness – good enough isn’t good enough.
Take The Road Less Traveled
Yes it’s easier to stay in bed versus getting up to exercise.
Yes it’s easier to walk the last mile instead of running it.
Yes it’s easier to give into eating unhealthy foods versus healthy ones.
Yes it’s easier to watch TV versus going for a long walk.
Yes it’s easier to keep believing the same old stories about why we can’t or don’t have the time versus telling ourselves we CAN and we WILL make the time.
It’s the tougher path, the extra mile, the road less traveled that’s available to all of us yet so few make the choice to take it, where eternal health, happiness, and fulfillment lives.
Universal Goals
Some of the most common goals I hear over and over again from clients I work with, and mind you, my clients are from all over the world so this is universal, the goals are…
To feel better, look better, have more confidence, more energy, to feel sexy, desired, stop wearing baggy clothes, be happy, and simply just enjoy life.
Not in these exact words although I make it known to them that all of this is not only possible, but inevitable IF they commit to always taking the tougher road and going the extra mile.
Not the easy road that’s filled with excuses, and the words “should“, “could“, “I need to“, or worst of all, “I’ll try“.
But instead the tougher road filled with commitment, discipline, focus, hard work, energy, effort, and the words “I can“, “I will“, “I must“.
Let’s commit to always going the extra mile, to doing the work… not because it’s easy, but because it is tough, we know it’s tough, and we do it anyways because we know…
It’s the tough roads that lead to the heights of greatness.
“Someone once asked me, ‘why do you always insist on taking the hard road?’ I replied, ‘why do you assume I see two roads?‘”
You’re awesome!
Mike
###
