Start Today — NEXT STEP

Fitness is a buzzword. I’ll start my fitness program later. It can wait until tomorrow. These are all reasons that we do not start working towards a better future. This is a blog dedicated to participation - to starting today and to a brighter tomorrow. Tomorrow can always be better, more energized and brighter than today. This is my attempt to get us there. This is your journey, your call. YOUR NEXT STEP!!!

If you have never started a workout routine, you may be surprised to know that it is easier to write out a plan for the future than to actually put on your gear and drive to the gym before the sun rises. Whether your goal is get fitter, eat healthier, loose weight or run a marathon… “I’ll start tomorrow” is the biggest block to starting today.

While some degree of willpower is needed to start, I believe that this is the critical first step to success. Working out does not start as a comfort task, nor something easy nor fun, it starts as work. To change a habit you have to reach outside whatever comfort zone you are in and move into something new. A famous Coach, named Matt Dixon has coined the phrase “Evolve or Die”. While that sounds fairly dramatic, it has been the unwritten rule of evolution or survival of the fittest.

Instead of perhaps tomorrow - I suggest that today is the right time to start. With this in mind, perhaps “lets go” is a superior mantra to “perhaps tomorrow”. Motivation can come from a picture, a thought or a goal - so many websites and fitness professionals would have us all write out “The Why?” we wish to do something. From a medical prospective - the why is less important than the start and the persistence. This is about changing habits.

For example, an absolute brilliant goal of many is the I’ll loose ten more pounds. It neither matters where this starts - nor how many times 10 lbs is lost. The way to success is by taking one small step at a time. In both fitness and weight loss goals are achieved by tiny incremental steps. The reason that today is the best time to start is that each workout, each smaller meal will be one tiny incremental step to your goal. Those steps need to continue. Healthy habits need to be encouraged. Pick just one thing to do today and do it. This is Your NEXT STEP.

If you can do this every day, it will create a positive habit that will move the needle. A heather meal, a walk, a run, a gym workout…just one thing… but do it today.