By: Alan Ataman
Alan Ataman, Founder of The Total Health Immersion Program
Excuses for me used to come naturally. I always found ways and reasons to not do something. I loved procrastinating. I knew those things had to get done at some point but just wasn’t ready to do them at that point in time, whatever time that was because tomorrow was coming and it seemed like a better time to do it. Why? Do you want the real reason why? The reason I know now that set me back from a lot of things?
Un-Inspiration.
I was uninspired. Working 50 hours a week. Going to school. Studying. Bills. Social Media. Trying to fit an image. All those things were things were things I let hold me back instead of using them as my reasons for doing them. I was looking at it all wrong.
I wasn’t inspired. I was just going, same thing day in and day out, I have no real reason for doing things, I just did them. I didn’t have a game plan for what I wanted. I was working to make other people happy, at my expense. With my health. With my time. Yes, I got paid for it but it wasn’t as fulfilling as what I’m doing now with the Total Health Immersion Program. Helping take people from where they are to where they want to be, physically and mentally.
So as we move forward with our fitness goals and diets in place, here are some other things we may tell ourselves that may hold us back from our success path and what they really mean…..
- “I Don’t Have the Time” – Most of us are on the go constantly and our lives are fast-paced, and we find it tough to find the time. But we need to. We can’t use the excuse of not having the time. If we lose our health, everything else that is taking up the time “we don’t have” then becomes irrelevant anyways. Three 10 min sessions daily work just as fine as one 30 min session. Everything counts.
- “It’s Hard to Stick to a Program.” – It’s hard because you don’t see the results right away. Early mornings. Late nights. Smaller meal portions. New gym clothes. And you’re still not to where you wanted to be. But it does come, I promise. It just comes in time. Most fail on their fitness journey because they know that a burger or glass of wine will make them happier quicker so they cave to that. But a strong mind mixed with determination and perseverance will ensure you win!
- “I Don’t Know How to Work-Out” – If you’ve never been to the gym or it’s been a while since the last exercising, you may just need a refresher or some tips on where to begin. Working with a trainer or an experienced gym buddy may help with that. Learning proper technique and why you’re going to be doing the things that you will also help prevent injury. 2 Birds, 1 Stone.
- “I’m Exhausted” – Which is understandable. You live a busy life and also have a lot of people depending on you. Just don’t forget that exercise can actually energize you. Physical activity increases your blood circulation throughout your body and could lead to a second wind for the second part of your day. Work on you and refill your fuel tank while doing it? 2 more birds with that same stone.
- “I’m Too Self-Conscious” – Again, totally understandable. It can be extremely intimidating to those not completely happy with within. But honestly, with the exception of a small few, most people in the gym are nice and friendly and just proud that you are in there looking to better yourself. So, the thought of being judged is mostly a barrier we will need to overcome. What worked for me was that I came to realize that those that may judge weren’t doing anything for me. They aren’t paying my bills. They aren’t doing my laundry. They aren’t making my meals. And aren’t benefiting me in any sort of way, so why must I worry about their judgment? I’m going leave without them anyways. So just try to stay within your own and remember why you’re in there… for you.
It’s easy to find an excuse. But completion is so much more fulfilling. I completed that set. I walked that mile. I lowered my cholesterol. I got my weight down. I beat depression. I made that friend. I overcame obesity. So while we are going about our days working, going from meeting to meeting, taking the kids to practice, grocery shopping for the family, and just constantly being on the go, think about you. Your health. Your goals. It’s not easy, you’re right but once you can overcome the reasons why you don’t want to, the opportunities are endless for you. We just need Inspiration!