Throughout the course of my life, every few months I would make an attempt at getting in shape. These “attempts” (note the quotations) could range anywhere from giving up soft drinks for a few weeks to jogging for a month to eating a salad… once. However, none of these periods ever stuck for more than a few weeks. That is until my latest try. I’d say that I’ve been on my latest fitness “kick” for about 15 months now and I’m still going strong.
These attempts at getting started with fitness reminded me of trying to start my lawnmower: it never cranks on the first pull of the cord. The first few times I pull the line the engine makes noises but never quite turns over. Around the third or fourth pull the engine usually cranks up and we’re off and running.
In the same way, it took a few false starts before my fitness life really took off. I’d try something and fail. I’d try something else and fail again. Eventually, however, I tried something and I stuck with it. After the initial period of frustration, I’m cruising along great now. What I’m trying to say is that succeeding in this area may take a few tries. Don’t let yourself get overly frustrated if your first few pulls on the cord don’t turn the engine over right away. Take a breath, ready yourself, and try again.
