‘Someday’ will never come

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/04/2019 (2651 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Close your eyes and picture this.

(OK, maybe don’t do that because you won’t be able to read, but you get where I’m going here.)

Picture a man on his couch. His name is Serge. Obvious to anyone, he’s carrying one too many pounds.

But look into his eyes and you see he has so much to offer deep inside, but his weight is holding him back.

Now, picture a 10-year-old girl running into the room.

“Daddy!”

His eyes light up. You can tell she’s his world. But he knows if he doesn’t change some core habits, he won’t be around long enough to enjoy those special moments in her life.

So, Serge does some digging and looks for a solution. And looks some more.

He inquires about fitness and falls down the Google rabbit hole, never committing to anything, hoping he can figure it out on his own.

Fast-forward 15 years.

A girl on her wedding day. Picture-perfect dress. The beach in the background. The happiest day of her life. Tears in her eyes. But they aren’t tears of joy. The only man she loves as much as her husband isn’t there to walk her down the aisle.

Why?

He couldn’t change his habits, had a heart attack and passed away a few years before the wedding.

(Open your eyes now.)

That’s what this is about.

I have two young daughters of my own.

It’s not about getting ripped for a magazine cover or Instagram selfies.

It’s about being the best version of yourself, projected out in the world, for as many years as you can muster so you’re the best parent and human you can be.

But it all starts with making a commitment to yourself.

You intuitively know those magic pills, wraps and 30-day challenges aren’t sustainable.

Commitment and habits over the long haul are the key, not fads and quick fixes.

It takes a non-negotiable commitment to yourself that you will eat better most of the time, stop going weeks without exercise and practise self-care as often as you can.

By getting your health handled, you’ll produce more of yourself in work and family, amplify resistance to stress and pressure, and have the energy and vitality to enjoy life at a much higher level.

And yes, of course, look great naked, and feel many years younger than your actual years.

You know all this. It’s the whole oxygen-mask analogy of helping yourself first before helping others that you’ve heard 100 times before.

But how do you take action right now when we humans are hard-wired to delay the inevitable before it’s too late?

Keep reading…

Do you have this disease?

You are going to die (gulp).

Even a lucky person who lives to 90 will have no problem fitting every day in their life on one sheet of paper (See the blog on waitbutwhy.com for a printable version to keep this front of mind.)

Yep, the mortality rate of a human being is a perfect 100 per cent.

Even Walt Disney didn’t have enough money to live forever (though there’s a rumour he’s cryogenically frozen awaiting the day when medical technology will allow for that).

You are older at this moment than you’ve ever been before, and it’s the youngest you’ll ever be.

But you like to pretend there’s still time.

You like to put things off for “someday” in the future and cave in to the plague known as procrastination.

Someday is a disease.

Someday, you’ll get in shape.

Someday, you’ll start that passion project.

Someday, you’ll make a change… when the bills stop coming, the kids are grown and the circumstances are perfect.

But someday never comes.

Someday is a distant horizon in the figment of your imagination.

Someday lures you in and procrastination traps you there for good.

It’s almost as worthless a place as the “good old days.”

You know, that place where everyone was a high school football star who could bench 300 pounds?

Yeah, that place sucks, too.

Those who rise above will make someday today.

It’s about sowing the seeds of your future now, so that they may blossom before it’s too late to reap the rewards.

Time is running out

Picturing the end can help you take action.

But if measuring your life in years remaining isn’t enough, you can measure it in activities or events you value.

To use me as an example:

I’m 34, so let’s be super optimistic and say I’ll be hanging around watching the Jets play till I’m 80. If so, I have 46 Stanley Cup playoff runs left to watch them underachieve in.

That also means there are 46 summers left to make memories.

If you have kids, your time with them is fleeting by the day. My daughters won’t be young forever and will in all likelihood be off to parts unknown in less than 20 years, pursuing an education or boys (or be in my basement, it could go either way).

I know I come across a little doom and gloom, but this self-reflection always gives me pause and helps me prioritize and take action. I hope it can do the same for you.

QUICK EXERCISE: Sit quietly with your thoughts or go for a walk without your phone. What things come to the forefront of your mind that you really want to address? This is usually telling. You probably don’t listen to this voice in your head enough.

Is it starting a business?

Getting in amazing shape so you can defy aging and shock your friends?

Having the confidence to go for that promotion or make a big career change?

Whatever it is, it’ll take effort and persistence. But nothing happens until you take the necessary action.

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach for men and women like his former self. Obese in his 20s, he now helps clients find their spark and lose weight for life. Are you ready to get someday started now? Mitch’s Mansformation Challenge closes to applications on Monday. Send an email to mitch@mitchcalvert.com with the word “Interested” in the subject line to get more details.