Seriously. We get regular haircuts, rotate our tires, check the oil every 3,000 miles, pressure-wash our decks, and have our hair trimmed every six weeks. Our possessions get more attention and care than we do.
I don't see why it's so hard to motivate oneself to get up from the sofa and go for a stroll. Or you could hit the gym. Or get the services of a doctor or nurse?
When will we learn to put ourselves first?
Quite a few aspects of this situation are not really our fault.
For one thing, that's just how our brains are set up. Our minds have an innate ability to foresee future events and are always striving to maximize productivity. Because of this, we tend to fall back on the habits we've established for ourselves, such as spending 8 hours a day at a desk.
As we continue to engage in them (40–50 hours per week x how many years? ), the ingrained habits become more difficult to break.
The second factor is the universal principle that any object at rest will stay at rest in the absence of any force acting upon it. Just like any other organ, our brains won't spend energy if they don't have to.
What constitutes an external force is up to interpretation and might be anything from a snarling dog following us down the street to an approaching wedding, family reunion, vacation, or even awful health news. We shall do whatever we irrationally or later rationally believe is required for our survival.
There must be more, however.
Stories are something we humans are always doing, usually to ourselves. Are they, however, accurate? Unfortunately, the tales aren't always encouraging when it comes to bettering our physical health. They're terrifying, and they come in the shape of a question—just like the danger they suggest.
We already know the answer, yet we still ask it anyway: "If I get in better condition, will I lose all my friends who didn't?"
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Am I worthy of becoming successful?
Fear of others' opinions paralyses me. I'm worried about the consequences if I take better care of myself but my spouse doesn't. Where does this leave our friendship? Altering my physical appearance will draw a lot of interest.
When will I know how that makes me feel? Am I going to like it? Can you imagine the kind of individuals who suddenly become your biggest fans? I don't know why I wasn't seen before. The biggest one is, "What if I'm not good at it?" When will I learn?
Despite the obvious dangers, however, the procedure for receiving such aid is one of a kind. Before everything else, understand that fitness is a service, but not one in which you are served or worked on.
It's going to be up to you to take care of it. You need to know exactly what you're looking for and how to acquire it, or at the very least, you need to be aware that change is possible.
Health may deteriorate very gradually and imperceptibly. It usually takes between 12 and 15 years of making bad decisions for chronic conditions like heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure to become noticeable to a doctor. Until it's too late, that doesn't give you the "outside" force you need to get going.
A failure to maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if it wasn't your fault (and it usually isn't; it's actually normal. On average, it takes 7 attempts before success), can make it much more challenging to try again.
None of this precludes our ability to evolve. Simply put, it's more difficult than we anticipated. Because the effects of our poor decisions won't be felt for years, we fool ourselves into thinking that everything is fine when we're young and able to use our strength, fitness, and health without any consequences.
But at some point, we must take charge of our own ageing if we want to thrive in our later years rather than decline. The time is now to start prioritizing your health, eliminating harmful habits, and building muscle. Realize that this is a permanent commitment. Work on training your brain with new patterns.
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It's tough at first, but you'll get used to it. To keep myself going, I always remind myself of a one-line prayer I heard years ago: "Let me not die while I am still alive."
Substitute a new narrative. So, today, I want you to ask yourself: Who are you? In five years, what kind of person do you envision yourself becoming? The human brain actively seeks out specific goals. Nothing can be shot at if there is nothing to shoot at. Change can be induced by simply expecting it.
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