Welcome to this online tutorial for How to own your fitness...and not get discouraged! Thomas Joyner with Business on Purpose here, so this year at BoP we’re spending a good chunk of time on you, the business owner or key leader, as a person and not just in a business role. We want to touch on every area of life...and that has to start with your health...and your fitness.

The first thing I will say is if you knew me in the past you would laugh that I might be teaching a tutorial on this. I led an active lifestyle, I loved all things outdoors and loved to move as long as it was attached to an activity. 

But...going for a run? Nope, not unless I’m being chased. Working out? Couldn’t have thought of a worse way to spend an hour of my day. I wanted it to be fun and exciting and to see results instantly. 

Friends of mine used to actually make fun of me as I would work out for about 6 weeks a year, get bored and decide it’s just not worth it. Rinse and repeat for the next 8-10 years until...I was married and had a kid...or had two kids. 

All of a sudden, I realized I want to be around for years. I realized that my future health affects people around me. But here’s the thing. It doesn’t just affect me 25-30 years from now, no it affects me today. Of course, I want to be around for a long time. I want to know my grandkids and teach them to hunt and fish, but I can’t just stay motivated by something 25 years in the future. No, I need some positive reinforcement today. 

Here’s what I’ve realized through this process of beginning to own my fitness...it’s lowered the stress levels I have running throughout the day. I get a good workout in the morning and I respond to life differently. The way I can play with my kids and chase them around with more energy. The clarity with which I move through the day and the sleep I get at night is all improved. I’m a better husband, dad, friend and employee because I’m getting moving and getting in really good shape.

I’ve heard it said that, “When you are healthy, you have 1,000 dreams, when you’re not healthy, you only have one...GET HEALTHY!”

And it’s so true!

So, what holds us back from taking ownership of our fitness?

The first thing I think we struggle to do is find the right motivation. For me, it was making sure I’m around for a long time for my wife and my kids. So, everytime I’m trying to decide if I’m going to wake up, I picture their life without me in the future, but it’s the motivation I need to get my tail out of bed and get in there at 6 am.

One of my favorite things Dave Ramsey asks his call in guests is, “Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired.”

Obviously he’s talking about finances, but is it any different with your fitness? Are you sick and tired of being overweight, stressed, having a lack of energy, or concerns about future health? Until that statement is true and you find the right motivation, you’ll never get into the gym or out on a run.

So what’s it for you? Is it your family? Is it being a better version of yourself today? Is it an improved day to day life with more energy and a healthier lifestyle? Find your motivation and hold onto it in a way that propels you to success.

The second thing we struggle to do is make an investment that actually costs us something. Part of my problem is I wanted to get in shape until it cost me something. And I would always stop short of that moment. 

Think about it...why do you think 9 out of 10 machines in a Planet fitness are empty? It’s because 10 bucks a month isn’t enough cost to get you off your butt and into the gym! It’s just not. If you have the option of binging another show on Netflix or sleeping in or get to the gym, you never made a significant enough investment to force you to go.

Now, please, do not use this as a reason to buy a $2,000 Peloton if you don’t have the money, or hire a personal training. If you have the money for that great!

But I know, for me, I chose a gym that was not the cheapest, but the one that was a big enough investment that I force myself to take advantage of the investment and actually get something out of it. I’m too cheap to pay good money for a CrossFit membership and NOT use it!

So what’s the investment for you? I had a buddy one time who wanted to get in better shape and he couldn’t find the motivation. Finally, I looked at him and said if you really want to get in shape here’s what you do. Put $250 bucks in a checking account. Every time you skip a workout you pay me 20 bucks. He looked at me like I was crazy. 

No, seriously, you value your money enough to not just want to give it away. Plus, every time you workout it will feel like you’re saving 20 bucks. So, we did it and the first time he missed, he was ticked! But, I held him to it and he venmo’d me 20 bucks. 

Again, two weeks later, he missed. 20 more bucks! And he was hot about it! For the next month he never missed a workout and by that time had built the habit necessary to make it work and he was past the initial misery of starting.

So don’t do it alone and find someone to hold you accountable if that’s what it takes.

The last mistake most people make is focusing on the end instead of the process. Instead of improvement! Most people sit here and say...gah I need to lose 10 lbs. That’s the end goal, right? But what we need to do is build a process to accomplish that goal. The question we need to ask is, how can I make small changes in my life to accomplish the goal. Then, when the goal is accomplished there is a process in place to keep us on track, not some fad diet or workout plan meant to get results fast. 

According to a US News Report, “95% of people fail to get the results they wanted when they started the diet.”

They go on further in the article to say that often times people don’t fail at diets, diets fail people. That’s a powerful thought. These fads have very little ability to deliver what you want. They’re too extreme and oftentimes not realistic for the long term. They’re for triage, not for preventative care and health. So build a system targeting the results you want and then trust the process.

Celebrate the wins along the way. Make it fun! Build habits that are life changing!

So what’s the system for you? Do you like reading? Buy a book that will help you get where you want to go or get off on the right foot. Do you like Podcasts? Find a highly recommended one that can help motivate and hold you accountable. Take the first step, don’t get concerned with finishing the race day 1!

For me, I didn’t want to go in and hit the weights 6-7 days a week, knowing I’d burn out and be miserable. No, my goal, and the system I built for myself, was to exercise more days in 2021 than I didn’t exercise. So, that means Monday and Tuesday I work out before my kids get up. I take Wednesday off. Thursdays I workout after work and Fridays during my lunch break. Then I enjoy the weekend, rest and have fun with my family and I’m back to it on Monday. It’s a system that can work for a long period! Not just to accomplish a quick goal.

So my last thing I’ll say is this. Don’t wait to make a resolution. Build a system that works NOW! It’s worth it. Find your motivation, make the investment needed to get you moving, and focus on the PROGRESS along the way

Your health and fitness cannot be ignored, so take ownership of it today!