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What Are You Waiting For?

I believe in living a healthy lifestyle. One of the strategies that I employ is a regular, exercise program. To some, it would be considered very strenuous, to others it might seem not so tough. 

Because I travel regularly, my routines need to be something I can take with me. For this reason, I became an avid runner. I can run anywhere and in every climate. Most hotels I stay in have treadmills, so in the times when safety is an issue, I can run indoors. All I need is my running shoes and I am set. 

P90X and Me

About three years ago, I decided that I wanted to become stronger. I wanted to build core and upper body strength and I knew running was not going to do that for me. I was watching TV one Saturday afternoon with my children and we came across an informercial selling P90X an exercise routine touted as the most extreme home fitness training system ever developed. 

I am always up for a good challenge, so I purchased the whole system right on the spot. It looked like I could find everything I would need in the standard hotel gym, which made it even more desirable. I ordered every thing they had to offer and committed myself to getting ripped.

By the time the materials arrived, just a week later, I had lost my enthusiasm and excitement. The box sat unopened for a month or so. Every time I saw it, "I said, I am going to do that someday". 

I Can Do Anything For 30 Seconds

The package arrived two or three months ahead of the new year and when I got serious about setting my goals, I decided again that I was going to do P90X. 

I will never forget January 2007. The magnitude of my sore muscles is very difficult to describe. I had trouble combing my hair, putting on my clothes and simply walking up and down the stairs. I couldn't do the routines. For some I was not coordinated enough, but for others I was simply not strong enough. i wanted to give up and declare defeat, but that crazy Tony Horton told me to just keep pushing the play button, so I did.

One of the routines commonly known as "the mother of all workouts" is a difficult series of jumping, leaping, squatting and lunging. Most movements are practiced for 30 seconds. At the beginning of the workout Tony welcomes you and loudly states that he can do anything for 30 seconds. 

That didn't sound too hard, so I followed the routine. I quickly discovered that 30 seconds is much longer than I previously believed. I stuck with it though, and I soon I was able to finish it with no problem. About a month into the 90 day program, I realized that I was actually stringing several 30 second blasts together and turning them into a very intense one hour workout.

How Are You Spending Your Time?

That is when it hit me. It all started with a commitment to exert myself for just 30 seconds. That 30 seconds turned into an hour. That hour turned into a week, and then into 90 days. Those 90 days turned into 3 years. Now I am fit, and I am strong. Rome wasn't built overnight, and neither was my body. I worked hard to get it this way and I realize that I need to continue to work hard to keep it this way. I can decide every day to use my 30 seconds any way I want to use them. When I engage I grow, when I vegetate I atrophy.

This doesn't just work for physical fitness, it works for everything we want to do. With growth comes a nominal amount of pain. Sometimes more than others. That is why we have what we call growing pains. It is OK to start slow. The pain does not need to injure us. It just needs to awaken our senses, helping us to see that we need to work to get back into shape. It all comes down on what we value and how we spend our time. When those two factors are aligned we feel less pain overall. 

How are you spending your time?

What can you start doing today that will eventually get you to where you want to go?

Are you willing to start with 30 seconds and then build on it?

Are you ready to grow?

30 seconds. That is all it takes to begin. What are you waiting for?

Live Today! Love Today!

Andrew Thorn

760-559-3548

Tags: Andrew Thorn, Authenticity, Carpe Articulum, Dr. Andrew Thorn, Game of Life, Goal Setting, Happiness, Heart Might Mind & Strength, Leader Behaviors, P90X

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 at 12:37 pm and is filed under Personal Best Leadership, strength. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.