This week, our friend Gari sent out this great list that he lives by. Not only does Gari live it, but he inspires others to live likewise. He challenged his friends to do 3000 pushups this month (100 a day for 30 days). My husband in turn challenged our kids to participate, offering a financial incentive so good that I had to take the bait, too. Last night when I was finishing my last 20 pushups of 100 for the day very late at night, I was cursing him (sorry, Gari!), but I admire Gari’s attitude and commitment so much. Even if you’re more into faith than fitness, I think you’ll find that these habits translate very well.
1. They don’t think of their fitness as work, but rather a way of life.
It’s kind of like taking a shower; you don’t need one, but you just don’t feel right the rest of the day.
2. They don’t skip workouts.
They take training days as serious as a Dr’s appointment. Appointments and meetings get scheduled around their workout time, not the other way around.
3. They take their rest as seriously as their workouts.
They know that in order to perform at their best and to get the most out of their bodies, they have to give it a rest. Rest days and sleep are as essential as the workouts themselves.
4 They eat to fuel their goals.
Everything they eat serves a purpose. Protein for muscles, carbs for energy, and produce for vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Treats are done, but never over-done.
5 They tune everything out when they workout.
Focus. They know that anything you give your undivided attention to works out better. Being in tune with your body allows them to make tweaks, and know which tweaks to make.
6 They push through frustration.
If you think it’s easy for the super fit to get fit,and stay fit, you’re wrong. They’re highly competitive and always striving to hit new goals. They struggle like everyone else with busy lives. Stress, plateaus, fatigue, and frustration. But there isn’t a thought of giving up, it’s just a matter of finding their answer.
7 They prepare their food in advance.
They know what they’ll be eating the whole day. If they don’t bring their food, they know what they can order off menus and what they can find at a grocery store. Drive-thrus don’t exist in their world.
8 They use their flaws as motivators, not a reason to give up.
They see their flaws (even if you don’t) and despise them like everyone else. But rather then letting their flaws bring them down,,they use them to motivate themselves.
9 They envision the win-goal-finish line every day.
The goal is crystal clear in their mind. The thought of the sculpted body or winning the race always keeps them motivated. Regardless of life’s pressures, they race towards the winner’s tape.
10 Persistence, persistence, persistence.
Yes… they are persistent!
11 There are no excuses.
They learn early that excuses are time-suckers and don’t get you anywhere near your goals. Better to get it done than whine about why you didn’t.
12 There is no giving up.
Enough said…
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us – Hebrews 12:1
Which of these habits do you struggle with the most?
Hey Melanie! I LOVE this post! What an amazing comparison to a passionate Christian walk… and I do enjoy some good regular exercise as well! My thorn in my flesh is definitely putting too much sugary foods in my diet… and as far as spiritually I would also like to begin decreasing my evening tv time in order to increase my quiet, reading time at night! Thanks for sharing some of your inspiration girl!!! -Amy
I’m working on getting in shape, so this is great motivation! I think what struck me was the non-negotiable part of everything. I had a fit friend of mine just casually talk about “having” to work out. It wasn’t up for interpretation or weaseling out of. It was going to happen, period.
So glad you got some inspiration. I think it’s helpful to be asked about our godly goals, so I’ll be asking you how you’re doing! 🙂
Loren, I think you’re acknowledging something that I will post about in the future. The fewer decisions we have to make (because we’ve already decided that fitness is a priority, for example), the more likely it is that we will develop disciplines that honor the Lord. Wish I had a video of Gari to share. His enthusiasm is infectious!
Amy, I can’t seem to comment on your blog! I’m not sure what the problem is. I get flashes where I can see the words to enter to prove I’m not a spammer, but they quickly disappear and I’m stuck with the same screen. I’m trying to be content with that, but it’s hard! I hope the problem is fixed soon.