Why is it so damn hard.......

Although I am not actively running my personal trainer business right now I am still helping others out there to understand, set and achieve their goals. Through the years of doing this the same question comes to me over and over again... "Mellie, why is it so damn hard?"

When I began my weight loss journey and transformation of my own life a few years back I had the same thoughts in my mind.  I remember my body hurting so much from the workouts, I was tired from the lack of sleep I wasn't getting and just trying to enjoy a meal was laced with thoughts of calories, fat and how long it would take me to work that meal off.  It was the hardest thing I have EVER done in my life and I have had 3 of my 5 kids naturally in child birth.  I would RATHER do natural child birth than have to go through what I went through getting healthy.  But with that being said it was the BEST thing I ever did for myself and to this day am 100% sure it saved my life.

I see so many friends pour their lives into their work.  They arrive early, skip lunches, stay late anything they can do to get ahead of the curve and get themselves ahead.  These same people are the ones who come to me asking for help on getting their personal lives under control.  It really amazes me how we, me included, can put 180% into our jobs or other things in our lives but we have a hard time putting even 20% into ourselves.

Why is it so damn hard?  Because you're changing your life!!!  You're changing a lifetime of bad habits, and changing your thought process that you have developed over the years. In addition you're trying to change years of damage to your body, mind and spirit.   Change is hard.  There is no way around it. There is no easy pill, there is no easy answer and there is no easy way out.  It has been said time and time again "You get what you put into it."

This comes in all areas of our lives not just getting healthy physically.  We need to consider our mental health as well and make sure that we are mentally taking care of ourselves.  We have to ensure that we are allowing our spirits to be filled with good habits and positive thoughts as well as actions.  One of the things I tell my clients when they start with me is to journal.  Getting your thoughts out of your mind and on paper is very therapeutic and really has helped me over the years.  This blog is an outlet for me.  I can get my thoughts out and in the process touch someone else life and hopefully let them know they are not alone in this world or in anything they are struggling with... we are all in this together.

Nothing in life is easy and the first step is always the hardest.  You have to be sick and tired of being sick and tired and make a decision that this is the road you are going to go down and you are not going to stop...ever.  No matter what YOUR road is... step back today and take inventory on your life.  Where is the majority of your time spent?  What are the areas you want to work on and think about how much time you are spending in those areas?  Is it enough?  Are you making any progress?  Are there other things you could do without right now to assist you getting to where you want or need to be?  Really think about your answers and see what YOU can do to get closer to where you want to be. 

For me my spirit and faith are the two areas that I need to change and improve.  Today I will make a decision to improve the amount of time I spend in these areas.  I will understand that I may have to give up something else to allow the extra time needed to devote to my goals but nothing in life is easy and sacrifice comes in every area of our lives when we are looking to change.  I am excited to know that I have the power, will power and ability to achieve anything I put my mind to.   I was able to change my entire body and lifestyle years ago and maintain thus I am able to do this as well.  

What are the changes you are looking to make?  Write out your goals today for your life.  Be as specific as you can be and be clear on the goal.  That is the first step in making any change in any area of life... you have to know where you are headed and then you can begin to make your plan to get yourself there.

You have one life to live... live it to the fullest!

~Mellie