One of my students was having a conversation with an employee at a local store.  This person was asking about Nick’s Pro Fitness and whether the classes were hard or not.  My student responded with an obvious, “Yes!”

   The employee then asked about the 3-2 Eating Plan.  She asked if she could eat dairy products, insisting that she just couldn’t live without them.  The student replied, “No, you can’t eat dairy products.”  The employee went on to complain that it was just too hard to give up the foods she had grown to like, so my student, a bit frustrated, ended up saying, “It’s really, really hard,” and walked away rolling her eyes.

I spent some time thinking about what had happened.  Most people do not believe they have the ability to make self-sacrifices.  They cannot give up something that’s not working for them in order to get something that is so much better.  They say they want to get in shape, but they don’t commit to working out or eating right.  Sometimes they will do it for a day or a week, but inevitably they regress to their old behavior patterns.  They say they want to make changes in their lives, but they won’t give up their self-defeating habits. 

We have become a society of people seeking quick fixes to problems that took years to create.  People have become impatient and rushed.  It seems everyone wants more reward for less effort.  We have created a time when people do not know how to delay gratification to attain the ultimate prize of a positive, healthy, and happy life. 

It is commonly reported that the average person who joins a health club in January usually lasts for about two weeks.  Moreover, of the huge number of people who remain members at a health club, only 4% actually attend on a regular basis.  What a waste.  I think this is because most people don’t make sacrifices for their own well-being.  They seem to find any excuse imaginable to pull them away from what they really need.   They often can’t handle a new routine long enough to see it become a habit.  If results aren’t immediate, they become discouraged and give up.  They return to their old, comfortable behaviors that didn’t really work before either.  Most people seem to easily accept the dissatisfaction of settling, but they pay a price.  What they don’t seem to notice is they become more and more comfortable accepting failure. 

So how does a person learn to sacrifice for oneself?  First, s/he must simply decide and commit in advance to not stop working until the goal is attained.  Second, we must establish a realistic routine and then stick with it.  When it gets hard to keep your commitment, take notice of that and know that this is the time to really follow through.  Third, always keep the goal in sight.  Regularly remind yourself that you have a goal to accomplish and simply work toward it every day whether you feel like it or not.  And lastly, keep mindful that by making sacrifices to achieve your goals you are moving yourself closer to the life you are meant to live.  You deserve nothing less. 

There is a special satisfaction when we sacrifice for something and achieve it.  It’s called pride.  It is the life example that we need to set for our spouses, our children, our employees and our friends.  It is so inspiring to the world when people make the sacrifices necessary and then reach their objective.  There is nothing like being proud of oneself and feeling that other people are proud of you too.  Now, go out there and make it happen. Pilsung!