The time to start is NOW

I have a very active mind and as homemade therapy of sorts, I tend to jot down notes, scribble reminders, write blog posts. Whether it be on a scrap of paper, my iphone, ipad, notes or my laptop. Inevitably this leads to more angst (and scraps of paper scattered all over the apartment) and lots of things get forgotten about –this blog post being one of them, which resurfaced over the holidays when I was tidying up.

I had actually written it during a delay on a stop over flight on my way home from the Underground Strength Cert in New Jersey last summer (you can read about that here). It was on that journey that I was reading The Power of Now (which I highly recommend) and one paragraph in particular resonated with me.

 

 

In it was the sentence, ‘waiting for an event IN TIME to save you…. salvation is not elsewhere in place or time. It is here and now.’

This is something I am guilty of – waiting to get to a point before I start something and that is the wrong way to approach anything. Starting is the hardest – but obviously most important part. Only this week I was trying to convince a good friend of mine to enter a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition in March but he was saying that he wasn’t sure and that he needed to lose a bit of weight first and get his knee looked at. I would put a months wages (and I am not a gambling man) that if he does not register for that competition, he will be in the EXACT SAME boat by March the 1st – the day of the competition.

Most people pursue physical pleasures or various forms of psychological gratification because they believe that those things will make them happy and free them from a feeling of fear or lack of purpose. Invariably, any satisfaction obtained is short lived.

So the condition of satisfaction or fulfilment is usually projected once again onto an imaginary point away from the here and now.

How often have we made the bold claim, ‘ When I get to this point or when I am free of that – then I will be ok and then I can start working towards my goals.’ This is the unconscious mindset that creates the illusion of salvation in the future.

This way of thinking is extremely common when it comes to getting in shape, training and dieting and for the majority waiting for that moment to start results in never reaching the destination.

One sees time as the means to salvation, whereas in truth it is the greatest obstacle to salvation.

You think that you cannot get there from the where and who you are at this moment because you are not yet complete or good enough, but the truth is that the here and now is the only point from where you can get there…. there is only one point of access, the NOW.

‘There is nothing you can ever do or attain that will get you closer to salvation than at this moment… Do it now or not at all.’

People wait for that perfect moment to begin something life changing – when the stars are aligned perfectly. Unfortunately great change does not come without discomfort and usually that discomfort means more suffering than the current discomfort of our sense of self, or maybe just suffering is a way to identify ourselves and in reality we want something to complain about.

Over the years, I have encountered some people that just do not want to be helped.

On the other hand I have seen people go through a substantial amount of suffering in order to make a positive life change and break free from previous self imposed limitations and old identity.

At this time of year, bold statements of intent and resolutions are rampant but it is easy to start something and give up as soon as the going gets tough.

 

 

I see so many people that say they cannot get healthy or fit or lose weight because of this or that and it is amusing to observe their circumstances from the outside. For every person like that, I have seen others in far worse circumstances with the odds stacked against them and succeed in making a change for the better.

What was the difference? Deciding enough was enough – enough perceived suffering?

Apologies for this post being a little disjointed – The take away point from all of this is that unfortunately there is very rarely a perfect time to start anything and there is ALWAYS a reason not to do something.

The times I have grown, developed and improved myself were the times I left my comfort zone and more often than not, scared myself shitless. This trip to New Jersey was one of those times. I had all of the usual thoughts like ‘what if I make a show of myself’ or ‘what if I don’t know as much as I am expected to know’…. And what was the outcome of the trip? I made numerous valuable connections and met great people and gained a genuine mentor. I found out that I am very much on the right track, gained a tonne of ideas for the gym and also had my motivation boosted to the point that I feel the possibilities going forward are endless.

If you are looking to get started – and again, there is no perfect time or level of fitness you need to attain first! Please get in touch! I look forward to helping you achieve your goals and exceed your New Years Resolutions!

Dave