I admit it

I’m a junkie. The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem, right?

Well, I have a problem. I have a burning desire to improve my life but limited time and resources available to pursue improvements. I’m willing to work hard but I get bored easily. These factors have contributed to me trying and ultimately discarding multiple diets, exercise programs, equipment, and protocols to help me lose weight, get stronger, have more energy, less pain, etc.

I’ve spent a lot of time, money, and energy looking for a magical fitness fix. Sadly, it doesn’t exist.

I used to be in pretty good shape

In my 20s and early 30s I studied and practiced various movement disciplines, including martial arts, yoga, and pilates. I was a lean mean fightin’ machine in those days. I was single, I had much less work responsibility, and a lot of free time.

So what happened?

Why am I now a 40+ out-of-shape wannabe blogger? I could put the blame on any number of things but it all boils down to a lack of discipline and motivation. Yes, my life got busier but I also got lazy. Life circumstances came up and I let my health and fitness take a backseat to my comfort. Very easy to do in this day and age where we don’t have a pressing need to stay sharp, at least not in the U.S.

What do I mean by that? I mean that I could potentially live comfortably for many years growing fat and lazy sitting on the couch watching television, drinking beer, and eating Doritos. I would never have to give a second thought to how unhealthy or unfit I was becoming if I chose not to, right up to the point of being raised into an ambulance or lowered into a grave. For better or worse, modern industrialized society has progressed to the point where I have this option available to me.

I realize not everyone has this option. There are many people in the world that struggle just to survive on a daily basis. However, if you have the leisure time and resources needed to read what I’m writing, it’s very likely you aren’t struggling to survive either. You have the same option available to you as well.

Why is being comfortable a problem?

In the grand scheme of things, it really isn’t. There’s nothing intrinsically wrong with being comfortable, but as a man I have a deep seated need to stay vital, to stay strong, to stay…relevant somehow. It’s hard to explain and I may explore this further in future posts, but I feel more alive when I’m pushing myself to be better in some way rather than just accepting the ever declining status quo.

Comfort is a nice place to visit but I no longer want to live there. I’ve tried it and all that happened was that I got soft. I don’t want to be soft and chances are neither do you. Let’s choose to push back on life a bit more, and take the easy path a bit less. Let’s become okay with being uncomfortable, at least some of the time.  What could you be doing right now that might make you uncomfortable but would benefit you somehow? Leave a comment, let’s start a discussion!