#55: Four Action Steps To Success

There are four action steps on the path to fitness: Wanting to succeed, deciding to succeed, making an effort to succeed, and perseverance in our efforts.

Like an alcoholic or a user of illegal drugs, we must acknowledge that we WANT to change and become healthier and more fit. Without a conscious desire to change our lives, we will roll along in the same self-defeating manner that has plagued us in the past, often for years. Change begins in our minds. We are what we think.

Our lives today and our future lives are shaped by our daily choices. By choosing to alter our lifestyles and ourselves, we will define a new, healthier us. Too many people simply float through life scared of any commitment that would require any real effort.

But once we admit to ourselves that we are not the person we want to be, that we are unhappy with the way we look and the way we feel, that we are not satisfied with our level of, or lack of, fitness, then we must actively DECIDE to take positive steps to change the person we are into the person we desire to be. Deciding to take positive steps forward does not mean a half-hearted attempt at changing. Fitness is a lifestyle we must decide we want to live daily before significant changes will occur.

After we become serious about attaining our new lives, we must MAKE AN EFFORT to succeed and act as if we're serious about our new journey. We must adopt healthier eating habits and incorporate exercise into our daily routines. Remember, as we think, so we are. If there is to be a meaningful change in us, we must alter our thinking to reflect our new way of life.

Because we do not typically feel comfortable with change, we must PERSEVERE in our efforts until our new habits become second nature to us and replace our old, unhealthy routines. We must not give up at the first sign of soreness after a workout. We must not give up if we fail to stick to our healthy eating plan on a particular day. Some psychologists claim it takes many people 16 consecutive successful attempts before a new habit replaces an old one.

If you are reading this, you WANT to succeed. Now you have to DECIDE that you will succeed, then you must MAKE AN EFFORT to succeed, and PERSEVERE in your efforts to change. If we persevere, and never give up, we will soon develop a new set of habits that will carry us forward to a new life.