Plenty of Pain....Still No Gain

Who's ready to get in shape????  Not many, apparently.  Recent studies show that only 16% of people, over the age of 15, participate in daily sports or exercise.  Compare that to the over 80% of people watching TV for at least four hours every day, and you can understand why the health and fitness industry is pulling in an obese, plump, hefty, chunky, beefy, rotund, gargantuan-like $17.6 Billion!!

Sure, it's easy to say - "I should hit the gym, and lose a few pounds."  But why don't more people commit to it?  Why is it that every time we feel like hitting the gym, our creature comforts hit back harder?

According to Marshall Goldsmith, in "What Got You Here, Won't Get You There", there are five main reasons why people do not succeed when it comes to getting physically fit and in better shape.  While reading through them, I noticed an amazing correlation between why people struggle to get physically fit, as well as financially fit......

1. Time - It takes a lot longer than the individual expected.  They simply don't have time to do it, and do not make time to do it.
2. Effort - It's much harder than they expected.  It's just not worth all the effort.
3. Distractions - They do not expect or plan for a "crisis" to emerge that will prevent them from sticking to their plan.
4. Rewards - After they see some success, they don't get the response from others that they expected.  People don't immediately love the new and improved person that they've become.
5. Maintenance - Once they hit their goal, people forget how hard it is to stay there.  Not expecting they'll have to continue to stick to a plan or they'll slowly backslide and eventually give up completely.

Losing twenty pounds, getting rock hard abs or bulging biceps are going to require more than you walking around in some rounded, unbalanced and ridiculous looking pair of sneakers.  It's going to to require all of those things listed above, and a little luck to boot (no pun intended).

Same with business.  You want to grow professionally, prepare to put in a lot of time, especially early on.  It's probably going to require more effort than you initially thought.  There will be an abnormal amount of distractions, and the rewards may not be immediately apparent.  Even after all of that, one of many hats you'll be wearing will be of the fire-fighter variety. Maintaining your business, putting out fires, all while trying to continue to grow, will be a normal day for you.

It's not easy, it's just worth it.  If you don't think you're willing to commit to all of that, don't even start.  May sound harsh, but think about it.  Why subject yourself to all of the pain, with little to no gain??  

It does "feel" easier, however, when you're doing something you enjoy - including working out.  If you love the beach, try running on the beach.  If you like the outdoors, try hiking or mountain climbing.  And if there's something you are passionate about, figure out if there's a way for you to make a living doing something that revolves around that.  

In no way is this meant to be "preachy".....I write this for me, because I can internalize it when I write it, read it and share it.  If you take anything at all from any of this, I'm glad I shared.