Thursday, June 7, 2012

Continuation

Just a continuation from the post from Tuesday - I had it written up but couldn't figure out where to fit in where it wouldn't be just shoehorned it, so here it is standalone:



Smart people know that, no matter how great the tool, it’s worthless if you don’t know how to use it. Smart people know that health, performance, appearance, whatever your goal – it doesn’t happen in a 6 week program. It’s a lifelong pursuit. It’s a lifelong commitment. What good is busting your ass for 6 weeks, reaching that goal, then falling back into mediocrity? It’s a lifestyle and a way of thinking. This doesn’t mean you are 100% dedicated to it, 24/7. Quite the opposite, in fact. It is about learning the important principles that can guide your decision making on a day-to-day basis. Your success or failure (in any endeavor, really) is the accumulation of many decisions, made on a daily basis, piled up. That’s why, if you make a poor decision here or there, it doesn’t have to hurt you. It only hurts you if you let it affect the rest of your decisions to the point of being destructive. I remember Alwyn Cosgrove saying, in regards to dieting, if you were to get off track, don’t let it derail everything, and he used this analogy – “If you got a flat tire, you wouldn’t get out and slash the rest of your tires!” Just because one thing went wrong almost on accident, doesn’t mean you need to intentionally make the situation worse. But again, this is what marketers and salesmen thrive on. Oh, you screwed up? Take this pill! Buy this gizmo! However, this level of self-awareness and education takes time to cultivate. It will not happen overnight.
I realize this rambling has taken many turns and directions, but the main point I wish for anyone to take away is this – it’s up to you. You have the power to make things as good or bad as you want them to be. There are a million reasons not to do something. You can make all the excuses in the world for success or failure, but in the end, it usually comes down to one thing – you didn’t make the decisions necessary for success.

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