I am in a constant state of self-evaluation and assessment. How can I be better? Am I on the right path? What can I be doing differently? Who do I want to be? Physically I'm in a pretty good place and I have some fairly specific goals and plans laid out. But that's the easy part for me. It wasn't always, I had to come a long way to get where I am today. I had to make some difficult decisions and pass some difficult tests to get here. It always came down to how badly did I want it and how far was I willing to go to get it. Can I dedicate myself to the level necessary to make it happen?
It took a complete transformation. Every single person, thing, or activity in my life that was going to hold me back from getting where I wanted to get was immediately cut. Everything. There are people that I used to hang out with and talk to on practically a daily basis that I haven't spoken with in years. I haven't touched a drop of alcohol in over 4 years. I workout daily. I read books written by people that I can learn from. I don't read fiction. I don't watch TV. I don't waste time. I eat super clean about 90% of the time and that's because I don't have to be super clean 100% of the time. If I had to lose weight then you can guarantee that I wouldn't have the occasional burrito or bowl of ice cream, but I burn an extra 10,000 calories a week exercising so I can make a few exceptions in my diet. The result of all of this is a level of confidence, self-esteem, health and happiness that many will never achieve. It doesn't mean that it's unachievable for others, it just means that most are not willing to go to the lengths necessary to get there. I train people on a daily basis who are willing to do it, but for every person like Dawn or Sue that have made incredible lifestyle adjustments and completely dedicate themselves to a complete transformation, there are a thousand others who don't have the balls to do what it takes. If you want to lose 50 pounds, yet refuse to cut processed carbs and alcohol out of your diet and won't find an hour a day to get some activity in then, I'm sorry, you don't want it badly enough.
I don't care who you are, if you want something that you've never been able to achieve before then you need to become a different person. I spent years of my life repeatedly taking the same path expecting to end up in a different place. I eventually realized that pretty much all the bad shit that ever happened to me was my own fault, (as was the good shit). The good things that happened weren't luck, I earned the good things.. As for the negative experiences, some of which ended with a massive fucking mushroom cloud, I could have affected the outcome of every single one of those experiences with different behaviors. Once I accepted the responsibility of all of my actions I was able to move forward and I continue to move forward.
The mental component of the transformation is the biggest. Your mind will drag your body wherever it decides to, sometimes kicking and screaming. Developing a level of mental toughness to stay true to your goals is a very difficult thing to do. Lack of mental toughness results in failure. We train mental toughness at Dynamic all the time. If at the end of a 6x30:30 AirDyne set you are able to carry on a conversation then you're missing the point. The more you challenge yourself at a mental level, the better you get at it. This has a direct benefit on your ability to handle difficult situations as they arise in daily life. The more mental toughness you develop, the better equipped you are to stick to the goals you set out to achieve.
Set goals and figure out the barriers that have prevented you from getting there in the past. Train your mind. Dedicate yourself completely. Transform.
