As human beings, one of the most important traits that we look for when looking to enter a relationship with another human being is compatibility. No one wants to be in a relationship with someone that we either don’t get along with, can’t relate to, refuses to try and understand us, and who we have little to no common shared interests with.

As I’ve said time and time again, I am THE LAST person that should ever be allowed to offer relationship advice when it comes to seeking a partner or significant other. Which is why I will gladly refrain from providing it.

However when it comes to building and establishing a strong and meaningful relationship with our health and our fitness – I definitely have a few insights on this topic.

More Money More Problems

It still continues to surprise me to this day when I see so many people spending so much time, effort and energy in their careers, yet little to no time, effort and energy on their health and fitness. Ofcourse one of the main motivating factors of working hard at your job is for financial stability and financial freedom in the future. However this concept perplexes me as I often find myself wondering what type of future these people will have when their health goes to shit and fails them before most of them even reach 60 years old.

You can have all the money in the world, but what good does it do for you if you don’t have your health?

Make no mistake, I’m a self proclaimed workaholic. But work has and always will take a back seat when it comes to taking care of my health. I don’t miss workouts. I don’t skip meals. And I refuse to let my business goals take precedence over my fitness goals.

Thinking Both Short & Long Term

As a Coach/Trainer I’ve always stressed the importance of setting both short term and long term goals to our clients when it comes to their health and their fitness. Short term goals will keep you motivated. Long term goals will keep you focused.

I apply this same concept to everything in life. Whether it be with my business, my finances, or my personal relationships. I think it’s so incredibly important to have a mixture of both short term and long term goals.

There is no such thing as “I Don’t Have Time” when you have set a goal to lose 2lbs each week for the next 8 weeks.

“I’m Too Tired” does not exist when you are ashamed of your “Dad Bod” and want to set a good example for your kids.

And “I’ll Do It Tomorrow” won’t work when you’re borderline diabetic, experiencing issues with your heart and suffering from chronic joint pain and muscle fatigue.

If you are truly committed to your relationship with your health and your fitness, than you will make the time, find the energy, and force the effort towards making this relationship work.

Living The Life You Choose To Live

By no means am I suggesting that anyone spend their entire life focusing solely on their diet and exercising everyday. I just think it’s important to find a healthy balance between work, exercise and play. I’m a strategic thinker and when it comes to the game of life, I want to live a long and fulfilling one. Sure it would be nice to retire young. But not if that means I have to trade in 20+ years of my life in order to do it. Being financially fit at the expense of being physically unfit does not sound appealing to me whatsoever. I don’t want to succumb to the ideology that as we become older, we become more fragile. I don’t want to accept the common belief that in order to become successful, my diet needs to change for the worse, my sleep needs to be deprived, and my health needs to suffer. These are all sacrifices that I am not willing to make.

As for party and play? Well like most of you, I enjoy my downtime as well. I believe downtime is important for not just our mental health, but also our physical health. Rest and relaxation is definitely a good thing. In fact, rest and relaxation are some of the building blocks when it comes to establishing a compatible relationship with our health and our fitness.

So where does this leave us?

Well for myself personally, I think of my body as a long term investment. And each time I go to the gym and complete a workout, or consume a healthy and nutritious meal, my investment increases in value. Like any investor, I want to get the absolute best returns from my investments. Skipping a workout or constantly cheating on my diet will not help be achieve these returns.

If you’re someone who dreads going to the gym or hates following a healthy diet, then perhaps all you need to do is change your mindset towards how you approach these activities. And if you’re someone who cares about your future and wants to provide your body with the absolute best  chance of fighting off diseases and health conditions caused by living a sedentary lifestyle, than you have no choice but to change that mindset today.

“Self-care is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.”
Audre Lorde

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance