Habits.

Habits are very important in the areas of Health and Fitness. 

I feel like all too often people think in terms of completing A Workout or even sometimes A Month's Worth of Workouts instead of focusing on the finish line. 

Doing something that you didn't want to do, because you knew it was worth it, and that it was for the greater good is a great feeling, so I completely understand the propensity to celebrate too early. "I really regret that great workout" - Said no-one, ever.

But what happens two months down the line when perhaps progress starts to slow down, and the grind and wear and tear start to really set in? Maybe you initially got into fitness to lose 30 Pounds, but you've been able to manage half of that and giving up starts to look very tempting.

This is why focusing, even visualizing the goal you want to accomplish is as important for a Beginner as it is for a person who has been on the grind for a while.

Imagine a scenario where two Men work at the same company, in the same capacity, in the same sort of office. One of these Men is out of shape, the other is in excellent shape.

I recognize that this is merely a hypothetical, but even so, I can guarantee these two Men have very different habits.

The alarm clock at the first Mans house starts ringing at 7:30 A.M. He then gets out of bed, takes a shower, grabs a couple of Pop Tarts and gets in his car. On his way to work, he stops at the Starbucks drive thru and gets some sort of 'Triple Cream Mocha' jug of Coffee, and this perks him up enough to get to work. He parks his car, walks to his desk and sits until lunch. Lunch time rolls around and he's off to (insert random Fast Food Chain here) to go eat. At the end of his day he punches his time card, drives home, sits down to watch Television and eat some more junk. Off to bed, and onto another day of the same.

Meanwhile, earlier in the Morning of that same day, his colleague's alarm clock is ringing. It's 5 A.M. and the first order of business is to lace up some running shoes. He breaks a sweat as he does every morning, hits the shower, and makes some Green Tea to have something warm to drink (he's already awake after the jog). At this point he eats a healthy breakfast and it's only 7 A.M. Work doesn't start until 9, and he decides that since he only lives three miles from work, and because it's such a beautiful day he's going to walk. He's at his desk when it's time for Lunch, and while everyone else is flooding out the door to go pay for Fast Food, he's pulling out a Tupperware container. Inside is the Brown Rice and Chicken Breast he prepared the night before, and even though he's sick of it, he eats his lunch. He punches his time card at the end of the day, drives Home, works out and instead of Television, he eats a healthy dinner with his family and then goes outside and plays with his Kids.

Two people with identical circumstances. Two lives in progress.

One enjoys the luxuries of delicious (but terrible) foods. He drives everywhere he could walk, and everything is very comfortable. Trouble is, he feels like shit and all of that comfort has resulted in a dull, unhealthy life.

Another enjoys the luxuries of energy, vibrance, feelings of accomplishment and amazing Health. He recognizes that a Double Cheeseburger is roughly 12,000 times better tasting than his Healthy Food, but he also recognizes that there is a cost to eating like that. He exercises regularly and everyone can tell.

Habits can make all of the difference in the world. 

Make sure that yours are paying you back.

Cheers,
John.