Common Sense

Here's a question, Why do they call it common sense?

You ever go the gym, and walk in just to see someone trying to lift way more than they should? You know what I'm talking about, that dude who seems to be doing some kind of weird body sway dance, as he's attempting to do a simple bicep curl. You look for a second, shake your head and probably think, "what an idiot" as you go and hop on the treadmill.

It's interesting how sometimes it's so easy to get sidetracked and distracted. We sometimes find ourselves acting like we are the best, boasting as we walk with our chest all puffed up, nose up, feeling like the king of the world. The problem we encounter here is that the only thing that pride really does is set you up for a fall. Think about that kid doing the sway dance, he doesn't understand the damage he is doing to his body, nor does he realize that he isn't actually targeting his arms, so he will actually get less out of lifting that massive weight, than if he just lowered it and had the correct form. So here in lies the question, why is he doing that?

The answer is actually quite simple, they have a problem with pride, and it's rooted out of issue insecurity. He Thinks, "I'm better than that. I can lift more than that. I'm stronger than that..." The problem is that when you get prideful you tend to ignore reality; like that guy who thinks he's getting a good workout for his arms, when in all reality he isn't targeting his arms, he's hurting his back... But I guess that's the worst thing about deception, it's kind of like bad breath, you're the last one to know you have it; and as I've said before, when you are insecure, enough just isn't enough.

Anyone who is serious about athletics would tell you that it is all about mastering the little things; because success in the little things is what equips you to be able to accomplish great things. So why is it that people tend to try to just jump in and expect to be able to do great things without any preparation, practice, or training? If you eat correctly and workout, you can reach any fitness goal, but it takes time. So many people go out and start pushing toward a goal, then get discouraged when they don't see results overnight. Guess what joker, it takes time... If it were easy, everyone would run a 4 min mile. If it were easy, everyone would have a 50 inch vertical jump. If it were easy... We could go on with that all day long, the thing is, it's not supposed top be easy; if it was easy, you wouldn't appreciate it.

Nothing really worth having in life comes for free, it's going to cost you something. Rather it is time, money, effort, whatever the list goes on. The key is endurance, how hard are you willing to press? What if it takes years? What if it requires you to change your lifestyle, will you do it? Then you have to ask yourself, is it worth it? Why do you want to reach the top so bad, will it really change how you feel about yourself? What are you going to do once you lose 100lbs? What are you going to do once you can bench 350lbs? When will it be enough? I guess the real question you have to ask yourself is, why are you trying to hit that mark? What will it accomplish? What good will come out of this, what bad, and is it worth it?

Some people might ask why would you ask so many questions before trying to do something, because I'll never get anything accomplished. My response would be simple, If it's serious, it's worth the assessment. Before you get involved in anything you should always ask where this could take you ten years down the road, and if it is worth the effort you are going to put into it. Once you have done this you can start mapping out how you are going to reach this goal.

5 Key steps I use when reaching for a goal

1. Be real with yourself

The very first key to being successful when reaching for a goal is being real with yourself. If you are 5'10 and 375lbs, you aren't going to be able to do a triathlon anytime soon. First you need to get off the couch and drop some pounds before you think about doing anything significant in fitness. Or another example, lets say you want to write a book; have you even educated yourself enough to consider that? Have you positioned yourself in such a way that you can attain what you are reaching for? Once you see that you have positioned yourself, you are ready to take the second step.

2. Make a time frame.

You aren't going to hit this goal overnight, make a time frame that you would like to accomplish it by. Say you are going to try to lose 30lbs; first look at your current activity level, then take into account what you are going to be doing, and go from there. You won't be able to drop 30lbs in two weeks, sorry won't happen. But say you'd like to lose 30lbs in two months, well that's feasible if you take the proper steps, and are discipline, about what you are reaching for. And I can't stress enough that You Must Be Discipline...

3. Make goals leading up to your ultimate goal.

This is a huge key. If you want to run a 6 min mile, and you currently run a ten, make steps that you will reach before you attempt the 6. Like being able to run 3 consecutive miles in 24 min, or 2 in under 15 minutes... If you were to look at writing; first start writing essays, blogs, and letters. Then progress to research papers, like a 30 page paper on ethics, history, or whatever. You don't just jump from insignificance to greatness without taking a few steps, and hitting a few speed bumps, along the way... but don't let it distract you, keep pressing forward. Once you have a time frame in mind, it's time to start cleaning.

4. Make a list of things you will have to change. This requires cutting out, and inputting new things...

Look at the way you are currently living, what are you going to change to reach this goal? What are you going to have to add into your schedule, and what are you going to have to replace? Lets look back at the 375lbs man, first off he's going to have to check his diet. You'll never do anything great in fitness if you don't eat right. Next, what does he do when he's not at the gym, or outside running? It might be a good idea to study the body, go to the park, or read instead of watching television and playing video games. Don't set yourself up for failure by hanging around things that will bring you down. If you are trying to lose weight, it probably isn't the greatest idea to watch food network all day because it will consume your mind. If you take in garbage, you're going to put out garbage; in other words, if all you focus on is food, your action will probably be you going to find something to eat...

5. Commit with Excellence

When you are pressing, do it to the best of your ability. If you are going to the gym, don't just hop on the treadmill and walk for five min, call it good and go eat a donut, that's just stupid. No instead, if you're trying to lose weight, set up a regimen that you will do daily, make a plan, and stick to it. If you feel like you can run more, and aren't tired after 15 min, then go for 20; you don't need to over-train, but you do need to up the resistance/tempo or you will never progress. Or we can look at writing; don't just write a paragraph with a bunch of run on sentences, on the same subject you've done ten times before. How about you try writing a page with good grammar, with unfamiliar subjects that require you to do some research. The list goes on about things you can do, but I think you get the point.

That's it. You do those 5 steps, and watch as the hardest goals become just another walk in the park. The biggest thing you will get out of doing these things is that it creates vision. When you can see where you are going, and know how you are going to get there, it takes a huge load off your mind. You have to look at what you are doing, and where you are going before you start, because there is no age limit on regret. It can happen to anyone who doesn't think before doing. There will still be resistance even when you map it out, but you have a certain peace because you know where you are going, and how you are going to get there. I hope you enjoyed this, these are just a few things that I've placed in my life that have helped me reach my goals, and I hope that they can help you as well.

Be Blessed

Dan Michno