Working out has proven to be the most important thing I do. It’s how I start my mornings and I believe it sets the tone for the rest of my day. There are plenty of mornings the bed feels amazing, and I’d rather sleep in. However; once I’m up, I start feeling better about my decision. And once my workout is over, the feeling of accomplishment validates why I continue getting up each morning.
The feeling of accomplishment isn’t just for my mornings or a temporary endorphin release. No, it puts me in a headspace where I must follow through with everything on my to-do list.
Completing a task for a client, sending out X emails, or making X calls each is non-negotiable. It’s no different than pushing through that last set of squats or completing a long cardio session. It may be uncomfortable while you’re doing it, but the feeling of finishing something challenging is incredible.
I must say that having the discipline to get up each morning didn’t come easy. For years I was inconsistent with my workouts and other nonmandatory responsibilities.
I never had a problem doing what was asked of me at work or caring for my family. I knew I had to make money, and I had to take care of my family. My issue was everything else.
I wanted to get healthier and exercise more consistently, but I knew there weren’t any immediate consequences if I skipped a workout or two, so I didn’t worry about it. I knew I wanted to make more money and take more control of my career, but I knew I could take care of my responsibilities on my salary, so I kept putting off developing other skills and taking career risks.
I finally concluded that I was living a safe life. I had become one of those guys in the middle. Everything I was doing was average. I didn’t see myself as a loser by any stretch of the imagination, but I also didn’t see myself as an overachiever, and that’s what I wanted.
I vividly recall riding through million-dollar neighborhoods, window shopping at luxury department stores, and wondering how people could afford these things. But, like most people, I just shrugged it off and told myself it wasn’t for me.
As for fitness, I wasn’t in bad shape but I was quickly developing a dad bod. Once again, I would see people my age and older in incredible shape and again I wondered how they maintained. And just like with homes and luxury items, I shrugged it off and told myself it wasn’t for me.
Somewhere along the line, I got tired of telling myself things weren’t for me. I started embracing the idea of making more money and exploring a new career. I started going to the gym more often and adjusting my diet. After years of exercising, I wasn’t seeing results and felt more frustrated than ever before.
But after a couple of years, people started telling me they could tell I was leaning out. I acquired some of the items I used to stare at in the window and I couldn’t pinpoint what caused the shift.
After a couple more years, I was running a business with my wife and in the best shape of my life… in my 40s.
I look back at where I was in my 20s and 30s and don’t even recognize that guy. My life took a 180-degree turn and I felt myself leaving the middle. I was no longer interested in what I used to be interested in, and I had goals and aspirations that were incomprehensible to me years ago.
But, some things are still the same, like taking care of my family being my number one priority. But the biggest change is I made things like my health and career top priorities too. There is one word to explain this change and how I’ll move even further from the middle… discipline.