I want to be wealthy, but I don’t work more than 2 hours a day.

I want to be fit and have defined muscles, but I don’t want to lift weights more than once a week.

I want to lean out and lose body fat, but I don’t want to change my diet.

When you read the above statements, you have to admit that they sound fairly ridiculous. However when you really think about it, I’m sure we all know at least one or two people who are either overweight, unhealthy, and/or financially challenged. And unfortunately the majority of these people (not all), really only have themselves to blame.

The Straight Shooter

For the most part, I’m a fairly black and white type of thinker. When someone tells me they never have money, I question as to why they take two days off a week from their work. When someone tells me that they can’t build muscle, I question their expectations when they only see the inside of a gym 3-4 times a month. And when someone tells me they are frustrated with the way they look and feel about their weight, I question as to why they don’t change their diet for the better.

With that said, I do understand that most people need days off from work to rest. And I do understand that not everyone has the desire to workout and exercise 5-6x/week in a gym. Hell, I even understand that not everyone has the discipline to follow a clean diet on a consistent basis. But I guess what I don’t understand is then why set goals such as becoming fit, healthy and wealthy, if they are so obviously unrealistic for you to achieve? Or better yet, why even bother setting goals if you have no game plan set in place as to how you’re going to achieve them?

If you know you are lazy person, then you need to figure out ways in which you can motivate yourself to get shit done. I recommend listening to a few self help audio podcasts. or attending a few motivational seminars in order to get started.

If you know you are not a disciplined person, then you need to find out what your triggers are and avoid or eliminate them at all costs. I advise working with either a Business Coach or a Fitness Coach (or Both!) that can help you identify these triggers and provide you with the necessary steps, tools and guidance to help you conquer and move past the obstacles that stand in your way.

And if you know that you occasionally have delusions of grandeur, then it’s time to wake the fuck up and humble your ass back down a notch or two. Sometimes an honest conversation with a good friend or family member who has your best interest at heart, and is not afraid to give you a swift kick in the ass along with a reality check is all this really takes.

Trying To Perfect The Past

None of us are perfect. We all procrastinate from time to time. We all get lazy from time to time. And we all shit the bed on our diets from time to time. Part of being human is that we do fuck up and we do have weak moments from time to time. But I think it’s important to recognize when these weak moments occur, and try to troubleshoot ways in which we help prevent these moments from occurring again in the future. And regardless of whether we rectify the situation or not, I believe that it’s important to be able to move past our mistakes and errors without dwelling on the choices we may have made during those moments of despair and regret. Remember, it’s difficult to move forward when you’re constantly focused on the past.

I have clients that sign up to work with me on their Nutritional Plans who feel ashamed about their own diets. When I ask them at the beginning of our plan to send me a copy of their 3-Day Food Journal so that I can see their eating habits, eating patterns and what types of foods they consume, the majority of my clients are embarrassed once they read these journals back to themselves. However I always remind them to leave the past in the past and to now focus on the present and the future. By addressing that they might have either an eating disorder or poor eating habits in general, they are taking the first step to correcting the issue at hand.

When a client first signs up to work with us at our Training Facility they usually feel a bit anxious and insecure because they have no idea how to lift weights correctly and put together a structured training program. For these clients I remind them that if I were to go to their offices or their job sites, I too would have no clue at to what I was doing and would therefore feel the exact same. We can’t all be experts in everything. But by hiring a professional or having someone you trust teach you how to do something that will help you improve your own quality of life correctly, you are taking the initiative when it comes to self care, which as we all know, is incredibly important for both our mental and physical health and well-being.

Get To The Point!

Alright so here it is. The point of this week’s blog. And that point is to just stop giving a fuck about every minor detail, every little or big mistake you have made, every regret you have, and everything that makes you feel embarrassed, ashamed and insecure. Life is too short. If you need help, ask for it. If you can help, offer it. Yes, it’s really that simple.

I absolutely love helping people achieve their health and fitness goals. And I do consider myself an expert in my field. However I don’t know shit about stocks, bonds and mutual funds, which is why I have a Portfolio Manager that can teach and advise me how to invest. I absolutley love looking at real estate all over the world. But I don’t know how to read minutes and negotiate terms. Which is why I have a Real Estate Agent and a Lawyer take care of this for me. And trust me when I tell you that I am by far the least handiest of handymen you will ever meet. But I have an incredible handyman on call that comes to my places whenever I need something fixed or repaired.

I’m proud of my strengths and I’m not ashamed of my weaknesses. And to me, there is nothing more confident and self assured than a feeling like that.

Yours in Good Health,

Nick Cosgrove
Forever Fit Performance