Excuses or results?

That's what it really comes down to isn't it? You can make excuses for why things didn't work out the way you wanted them to:

I can't get that 30 minutes of cardio in because I'm tired.
I can't eat healthy because I don't have time.
I am too lazy to exercise.


All things I've heard before. The first statement came from someone who was unhappy with the fact that he huffs and puffs walking up a flight of stairs. The second one came from a random person asking me why he can't get abs. The third came from my mother.

All but the last person (my mom) complain they can't get results. Maybe this is a little wrong to say... but for the average person, it comes down to one simple truth: you can have results or excuses, but you cannot have both.


If you're not doing exactly what you know you should be doing, then don't complain that you're not seeing the results you want to see. It's never going to work that way. It doesn't work that way in any aspect of your life.

Success isn't luck. True success is earned. The currency is blood, sweat, tears, sleep deprivation... in short,  the price for long term success is immediate sacrifice. You can have all the chips, ice cream, and cookies you want right now if you can accept that it will most likely make you more unhappy than happy in the long run... If you can accept that it will affect your overall health one day.

Success is a decision.

Just like how it's never too late to give up a bad habit it's never too late to pick up a positive attitude either. So when you wake up tomorrow morning and you're "too tired" to hit the gym or make eggs instead of eating cereal. Ask yourself: Do I want  results or do I want to make excuses?

Sometimes you need to fail

Failing is probably the best lesson I have ever learned. In life, not achieving a goal the first time you set out to try gives us an opportunity to try a different way. If you want it bad enough, you'll find a way. If you don't, you'll find excuses everywhere you look. The second greatest thing you'll ever learn is not to go looking for things you don't want to find. Don't set out looking to not accomplish a goal. Set out to achieve it by any means.

In the spirit of New Years Resolutions (and of course fitness blogging), the first thing that comes to mind is my quest for a stronger dead lift. I don't think I've ever not pushed myself in the gym. I don't think there's really ever been times where I've felt as though I got nothing accomplished. Even on a bad lifting day, it's an opportunity to assess my weaknesses.

Like the day I attempted and could not break 315 off the ground, and then proceeded to fail a 275 dead lift. The same lift I've done countless times before. Really, all I wanted to do was kick the damn barbell across the room from being so frustrated.

In all honesty, the failed lift just showed me where exactly my max was. It had been months since I've attempted a lift I couldn't (for lack of better words) muscle my way through. I needed that. I needed a new goal. I needed to feel the weight, to know that the bar was too far from my shins to start, to know that my ass wasn't low enough to start, to know that my grip wasn't up to par. I needed to learn all of those things again. I needed to keep it in perspective.

We all have good weeks, we all have bad weeks. No two weeks are the same. I don't care if your goal is to lose 10 lbs or gain 10 lbs. I don't care if your goal is to embark on a new career, move out of your house, or repair a damaged relationship. Where there is a will, there is a way.

If something isn't working for you, then maybe it's time to try a new method. If your job sucks, work on finding another. If you hate where you're living, then work on finding a new place to live. Damaged relationship? Keep the door open and keep trying to communicate. Failed lift? Assist work and new program.

It's January! The month of new beginnings. Don't be afraid to do something that scares you. Turn a negative experience into a positive one and use it to propel you forward. No matter what, keep moving forward.