You decide to get in shape and lose some weight. Sound simple enough. Exercise more and eat less. Done. Now, let’s pretend you took on a different challenge. Let’s make it the Ironman Competition and you’ve told everyone at work, your family and all your friends you are going to place in you age category. WOW! Now we are serious and in for some serious training. We are not just going to just get in shape and lose some weight. There’s more and here’s the kicker! Could this Ironman thing end up being easier, than the simple easy get in shape and lose some weight. Why?
There are many reasons, but the one thing that stands out is the word: “Serious”!!! Ironman competition you do not take lightly. Which I’m guessing already has some sort of training schedule, support, strategy, plan, fitness, eating and sleeping routine that probably just need a little tweaking to be successful with the iron man. The other guy is planning to run after work, if he has time and cut down on few fries at lunch, if he doesn’t talk himself out of it. Oh the excuse machines in him are gearing up for a big war!. ….. Not really serious! >> It’s hard work not being serious, not putting yourself in some program. The battle is on and guess who is going to win! They did last time after they made you suffer for weeks. It’s time to get serious!
We are a habit machine (creature of habit), physical world, biological being, family, social, spiritual and work (and/or school) world all happening at the same time. They all effect each other. They are interactive and interdependent. How many habit machines is that? We have the eating habit machine, sleeping habit machine, the scheduler habit machine, the social habit machine, the work habit machine, the spiritual habit machine and of course your physical training habit machine.
Does your scheduler machine, prioritize and filter out guilt so priorities are maintained. Do you have a “NO!” machine attached to the scheduler. When are you going to do this, how and how long are you doing this? Why are you doing this? How important is this? What basic habit machines will be built in the process?
These are a lot of questions, decisions and training or building of machines, if you don’t already have them. The Ironman commitment does, so this person can take on this challenging goal. If you don’t have a lot of supportive habit making machinery, training machinery you need to take it slower as you develop them. It doesn’t mean you can’t have fun and enjoy this, in fact that is a requirement. You have to be serious about your fun and enjoyment as they are fuels for your success.
So many people start and exercise program, with their lose weight, get in shape goal as the only juice driving this goal. You have got to be serious enough to make your exercise rewarding in itself. You have to design and train yourself such that the exercise by itself is rewarding. You have to set it up, train yourself to get juice from your workouts That’s right, you have to be serious enough to strategize and plan in reward and fun!
You’ve got to be serious enough to take care of your body, so it doesn’t give you any excuses. Oh, I can’t, I’m tired, …… I’m starving, ….. I’m to sore. That’s right, stretch and push yourself, but at a rate that doesn’t ever give you an excuse. You are a creature of habit and you, unconsciously, are going to be looking for any excuse in the world to go back being and acting like the old you. When your serious, you don’t allow that and therefore don’t have the work of fight it.
Your family and friends are going to want the old you back to. They are not going to be on your side. “Come on, let’s go have tea, you can run tomorrow.” Or “You can’t go running, we are eating dinner, then we usually watch a TV show. You’re not going to miss the show, are you?” Hey, you did work out yesterday good, what should you do? …. (pause) ... You know how your Maker gives you “tests”, this is one: What will you do? I’m serious! I’m doing this and the world gets it and moves out of the way. Done!
Small, but Ironman like seriousness. I know you can’t compete in an ironman, yet, but this simple little run and get in shape goal doesn’t have a chance until you develop the habit machine seriousness of the Ironman competitor. So, amp it up! Give it some importance. Make it serious. When is the competition you are training for? Find one, make it up one, pick one. What will you have to do? What is your goal time? What are the rewards? What will it mean to you? How will you celebrate? Will you get a T-shirt. Get others to compete too! Hey, make this an event! Get serious and make this important and your chance will greatly improve.
Your goal may be just to run/walk a mile by Valentines day. Why not join with an existing event! We’ll celebrate by ……. (make it memorable). Get serious and make this happen. Don’t get wimpy on me. Yes, tell your supportive people and have them join you or celebrate with you. Get them involved and engaged as well.
You’ve started some of the critical machinery to take charge of all aspects of your life. Your life is important enough to get serious about, isn’t it. You took charge of that little exercise and get in shape project. Now it’s time to work on a bigger project or in another area. Set it up, Amp it up, Challenge it up, Important it up! …… make it happen. Activate the Serious Machine! Stretch yourself! Small with a stretch! Yes, starting small can still be very, very, very important! Just right, small enough, to be Serious! I love the saying: Life is too short to play small, ….. That’s the stretch of the small to make it a big serious thing!
To get in charge of all aspects of your life you need to develop some Ironman seriousness machine parts. “No, I can’t do that, I am training!” “I love my trainings, I made sure I was able to really get into the challenge, the skill, the fun, the progress, the ….. “, “I can’t do that (eat cake), it will mess with my endurance.” These and so many other little machines will serve you in other areas of your life. Once these little machines are up and running, you can take on even more rewarding projects in all areas of your life. Be serious and pay attention to these Ironman serious machines you are developing. After all, life is too short to play it small!
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