It’s Tough!!

Yes, what I’m doing (trying to “lose” 140 pounds) is tough. But, it is the “little things” that really make it tough.
       It’s tough to get up at 5:00am and run.
       It’s tough to get to bed at decent time.
       It’s tough to make the right food choices.
       It’s tough to get off the couch and exercise.
       It’s tough to come home from work and exercise.
       It’s tough to not make excuses.
       It’s tough to just suck it up and do it.
       It’s tough to press on even if we’re “tired”.
       It’s tough to plan for the unexpected.
       And on, and on, and on……

But there’s one thing to be said for all these things…..TOUGH!!!! Deal with it!!!

With all the things that are tough, it’s amazing just how easy is it for us to just accept it and do nothing about it. It is as if we don’t want some things to get easier, so that we always have our scapegoats to fall back on. “I didn’t take my lunch to work today so I HAD to have Chinese (in which I drove right by Subway to get there).”

One way I look at all that I’m doing, is in terms of habits….
       The habit of emotional eating
       The habit of comfort eating
       The habit of going to bed late
       The habit of sleeping in
       The habit of not exercising
       The habit of looking for the easy way out
       The habit of making excuses
       And on, and on, and on……

Some people say it takes 21 days to break a habit. Well, I’m not so sure about that number, but I do know what will determine if we do break a habit….for the answer just look in the mirror. OUCH!!! Some of you didn’t like that answer. If you didn’t, then join the club and, to repeat myself….TOUGH!!! DEAL WITH IT!!!

To me a habit is just a result of continually making the same decisions and taking the same actions. Change the decisions and actions, break the habit. Simple? Yes! Easy? No! What’s that you say? Yes, it’s tough!! But tough is also relative. For some breaking par at golf is tough, if not “impossible”. But, we see hundreds of people every weekend on TV breaking par. It isn’t so tough for them. So, what’s the difference? They work endless hours to perfect their golf swing and their bodies to ultimately shoot lower scores. I guess you could say….it’s a determination and commitment to continue to change ones self to the point where what was once hard, tough or impossible becomes easy, a habit and a way of life.

We must take personal responsibility for our self, our decisions, our actions, the results and ultimately, the consequences. Only then will we see progress. Only then will the tough become easier. Only then will habits change.

Only then will I SUCCEED!!!

Till Next Time…Take Care!!!