Last year, when I started working out, a couple of coworkers flat out told me that it wasn’t going to last.
Huh?
You can imagine that it threw me for a loop because they know me, but they don’t know me. They don’t know what I’m capable of, what I’ve been through and all that I’ve overcome.
I’ll admit, my fitness routine is intense. It’s not training for American Ninja Warrior intense, but my alarm goes off before 4 AM. If I don’t drag in the morning, my love and I are at the gym no later than 4:45 AM to meet our friend who doubles as our trainer.
Believe me, it has NOT been easy. Every day is a struggle, but at that time, we can get in and out of the gym and still make it to work on time. Now that it’s the New Year we’ve started meal planning, too.
Once again, a coworker offered their two cents.
After work, they asked what I ate for lunch that day. I told them that I ate the same thing that I ate the day before. “You know the thing about meal planning, is that most people get bored of eating the same thing so they give up,” they said.
*Blink Blink*
“You love discouraging me,” I fired back.
Here’s the thing:
I can’t even get mad at them. I mean, I can, but I won’t. There’s no point because they’re allowing their lack of discipline to be the ruler to which they measure my discipline.
Do they have a point about eating the same thing several times in a week? Yes, I’ll give them that, but let me live. Don’t poop on my lifestyle change all for the sake of having something to say. How does that help?
It took everything in me not to be petty and ask what goals they’re working towards. The only reason I didn’t is because I knew the answer.
I knew they weren’t working towards any goals yet had the audacity to come for me and mine.
I would much rather be someone who starts and fails then someone that fails to start. Again, I would rather fail while trying to achieve a goal then never having the courage to start in the first place.
Do you know why?
I’ve had to start over so many times. I’m talking about jobs because I moved every two years for my love’s career. I’m talking about my career because of lack preparation and confidence. And I’m talking about this very blog that you’re reading right now. I’ve started (and stopped) writing this blog since 2013. Heck, I can’t say that it won’t happen again, but you know what? I’ll always listen to that whisper that says “try again.”
Some people won’t do that; they won’t even try. Those are the people you should avoid taking advice from at all cost.
Negative Nancy and miserable Mike don’t have anything to offer you. You and I, we don’t need that in our lives. We’re striving to make tomorrow better than today; to create a better version of ourselves. We’re setting goals and working on crushing them daily. We are taking advantage of that good ol’ “New Year, New Me” feeling. And you know what? It feels good.
So that thing you’ve been thinking about creating, start. Start where you are, scared and without a plan or clue in mind what you’re doing. Just start.
There is power in starting. Despite what Nancy and Mike say, there’s also power in starting over. Do you know why? Because it gives you a chance to build something better. That is my hope for this blog. That is my hope for you and your goals this year.
And if you haven’t heard it lately, I believe in you. You can do it!
