During church, my Pastor used the following passage in a sermon which got me thinking. It’s entitled choose your hard.
“Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.
Obesity is hard, Being fit is hard. Choose your hard.
Being in debt is hard. Being financially responsible is hard. Choose your hard.
Communication is hard. Not communicating is hard. Choose your hard.
Life will never be easy. It will always be hard. But we can choose your hard. Choose wisely.”
Author Unknown
This all spoke to me but especially the line about being fit or fat because of what has transpired in our world over the past two years. The little things are more difficult and there is an underlying threat every time we run a fever or someone coughs.
There is a lot of stuff that is out of our control and some choices are made for us or we have to choose between two bad options. This makes choosing your hard even more enjoyable.
Life Will Never Be Easy
Never and always are strong words that imply it’s 100% one way or the other. But is life and fitness always hard? No, not in my book. In fact, life can be easy because instinctively we want to choose easy every day.
The easiest way to work.
To go or NOT to go to the gym.
Having leftover pizza for breakfast instead of an apple.
Picking up fast food instead of cooking dinner.
Hopefully, you get the point. Most people including me are more likely to choose easy over hard. This is what’s called the path of least resistance. Does this make life easier in the short term? You bet your bottom dollar.
Steven Pressfield, author of ‘The Art Of War’ calls this force of taking the easiest way out, the resistance. That feeling or thought that you get in the pit of your stomach that you must or want to do something, but it’s difficult and you want to take the easy way out.
Pressfield says, ‘we don’t tell ourselves I’m never going to write my symphony.’ Instead, we say, ‘I’m going to write my symphony; I’m just going to start tomorrow.’
And for some of us, tomorrow never comes.
Choosing to do what’s easy in the present doesn’t last and, in some cases, it may make life more difficult. For an extreme example, not going to the gym because you’re too busy and then not being able to fit into your favorite pants. While there are some things made easier from taking the easy way out, the truth is, it’s only a temporary easier.
Experiencing the choosing your hard” in life is not a matter of if, but a matter of when. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid it.
Are things ever easier in the future when we procrastinate?
Choose Your Fitness Hard
Lifting weights is my passion and I love it. Yes, it is hard and sometimes I make it hard on myself on purpose or by choice. But lifting weights, going to the gym, or even regular exercise is not everyone’s bag baby.
This is where you face a choice.
You know regular exercise is good for you and you the benefits. But you’re being pulled in a million different directions and one of them being the leftovers in the fridge. You face a choice. Take the easy way out or make time to do something that is good for you and your quality of life.
This is where you choose your fitness hard. I like to refer to it as making a choice that sucks the least. For me, it’s resistance training. For you, it might be
Walking
Yoga
Jogging
Housework/Yardwork
Biking
CrossFit
I’m just joking about Cross Fit. Who would choose that?
Obviously finding a movement you enjoy is better because it’s easier to stick with. But if you cannot do that, finding something you hate the least is taking the path of resistance will make you a healthier and stronger human.
Will it be easy to choose your fitness hard when you’re busy or unmotivated? No, but doing a little over the long haul will lead to a better you and improved quality of life.
Choose your hard. Not liking the way, you look, move, and feel or sucking up some physical and mental discomfort in the present for a better future you. I’ve made my choice and if you’re on the fence about regular exercise, it’s time to choose your hard. Choose wisely.
Wrapping Up
You make choices on how to live your life daily. Some are no-brainer choices; some choices are made for you and some choices you have to choose your hard. When it comes to your health, fitness, and quality of life you either pay now or pay a heavier price later. Your choice.
If you’re ready to choose your hard, I can help.
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