When it's Time to Give Up

Back in late December, 2019, I took on a new personal training client - lets call her Rose. December is a slower month for personal trainers, as you probably know, but Rose contacted me about two weeks before the new year wanting training 4X per week starting immediately.

Rose was in her mid 30’s, witty and sarcastic demeanor, worked in the pet service industry, and wanted to lose nearly 100 lbs she had gained throughout decades of her life. The facility I was working at at the time had specials every year in January, so when we met I almost blurted out, “don’t you know every gym in the world has discounts and specials in the new year?”. And with 100 lbs to lose, she had several holiday parties planned with her family. What an odd time to get back into shape, I thought.

But I thought wrong. ​When I asked Rose if she wanted to wait to signup until the specials we were going to run on New Years Day were available, she said that she knows herself, and if she waits any longer to lose the weight, she may never do it. She said she almost didn't come in that day, and was feeling nervous but knew she had to at least talk to somebody.

Long story short, I’ll never forget Rose’s excitement when the scale came closer and closer to starting with a 1, not a 2 for the first time in her adult life.

So I want you to be like Rose, and give up.

I want you to give up on waiting for the perfect time to start doing what you know you should be doing. I want you to give up on thinking that you’ll be ready to change your body tomorrow, or next week. And I want you to give up on thinking you will magically have the will to do the right thing for yourself later because you don’t have the will now. I know its uncomfortable, but I want you to reflect on the times you said ‘I’ll do it when I’m ready”, and see whether or not that got you where you wanted to go.

So now that we've given up waiting for the perfect time, this year instead I encourage you to do more things that make you uncomfortable in the name of your wellbeing.

Getting up and exercising right now, not tomorrow, is uncomfortable. Change is uncomfortable. Making commitments is uncomfortable. Soreness is uncomfortable. Sticking with a consistent planned effort when you’re tired and you don’t want to, is particularly uncomfortable.

For example, one thing you can do today is commit to just starting your workout. Not a hard workout, just the warm-up: You block out 10 minutes on your calendar today after work to just do the warmup portion of a workout. Then when the warmup is over, you can ask yourself if you want to keep going or stop. I bet you will keep going and finish your workout, at least much of the time. And thats much better than waiting and doing nothing.

If you’re willing to give up on waiting for the perfect time this year to get started on your health, and making the uncomfortable decision to take action now, I promise you can reach your goals faster than you ever thought you could. And tomorrow you’ll be looking in the mirror at someone who didn't give up on themselves, not for another day.

I am here for you now, right now, to get you started on an online personal training program that starts the making of the new you. Just call or email today.

​Jonathan's SAMPLER Credo: Serve someone else | Abstain from temptation | Meditate in peace | Play something fun | Learn from experts | Exercise your body | Reflect to a diary

Jonathan Woods, MS, CPT

CEO and Founder, Partner Wellness, LLC

JonathanPWoods.com​

305-396-1139