Dare to do, right now

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 27/08/2022 (1147 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

I had a tough conversation this past week.

You see, back in late 2020, a guy booked a consult to see about working with me. I’ll spare details to keep him anonymous, but he’s a household name with a high net worth.

When we last spoke, he was thriving in every area except his health and had probably 100 pounds to lose.

But after our introductory consultation, he gave me the “I’m going to need to think about this” response.

He eventually said he just didn’t have time to commit right now. Fair enough. Fast forward two years later to the present day, and I randomly followed up with him, only to find out he had a stroke last year and is still recovering his basic faculties.

He admitted he wished he could go back in time and make some major health changes when we first spoke. He said he’d give all his dollars away to have a do-over.

Could his stroke have been avoided by getting into my program? By losing weight? Maybe… sure. Maybe not.

Genetics load the gun, but lifestyle and habits most certainly pull the trigger. Maybe it was too late already, who knows.

I don’t share this to put a damper on your day but to remind you that nothing is guaranteed. There is something I believe to be more dangerous than anything in this world, viruses included. It’s putting things off for “the perfect time.”

Every day you wait to do what you know you need to do is a precious opportunity wasted. All we have is now. Who knows where you’ll be in six months or six years from now.

If you aren’t happy in your current situation, but are putting it off, the best thing you can do is make that day today. The more you delay, the more you suffer, whether you’re aware of it or not.

This is why I’m politely persistent with everyone who inquires with me and gives me the “I need to think about it” line.

I’m delusional enough to think my persistence will either get them to join forces with me or guilt them into at least trying to change on their own.

That’s what this is about.

I have two young daughters of my own, so it’s not about getting ripped for a magazine cover or Instagram selfies. It’s about being the best version of yourself, projected out into the world for as many years as you can muster, so you can be 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 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 be able to offer 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 age.

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?

You are older at this moment than you’ve ever been before, and it’s also the youngest you’ll ever be from now forward. 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 with a six pack?Yeah, that place sucks, too.

Those who rise above will make someday today. It’s about sowing the seeds of your future now, so they may blossom before it’s too late to reap the rewards.

Time is running out. Yes, time. A lack of time, to be exact, is the reason so many give for not being able to make a health change.

No, I’m not going to preach about how much time the average person spends on social media or in front of the TV — I’d be pointing the finger at myself all the same. Instead, I’m going to break down some ways you can find that time without giving up anything else.

Even committing to 10 minutes can help transform your routine (and body, eventually). Over time, after that 10 minutes takes root, it can grow to 30-plus minutes you enjoy and look forward to.

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach who has helped more than 1,470 people transform their bodies and lives over the past decade. Visit mitchcalvert.com to grab a free copy of his metabolism jumpstart or drop him a message to get direct coaching.