I’d rather go through the short period of going all in, whatever it takes to get what I want, then to trade a short period of ease for a long period of average. You need to start looking at your life differently, go all in, and play the long game.
Would you rather go through a condensed period of struggle, effort or pain – a few day to weeks to years of pain, frustration and obstacles – than suffer thirty to fifty years of mediocrity. Mediocrity in your health, your wealth, your relationships. But really, it would not be even mediocre because you are either getting better or getting worse. Nothing stays constant.
It is amazing how people reverse the two. Human are terrible at playing the long game. They settle for comfort now and unconsciously accept disease and discomfort in the future.
Trust The Struggle
Look at my life right now…. or at anytime… I am always on the grind. I recently launched a new app, the Strong Body Strong Mind Challenge, whilst on lockdown from the COVID-19 corona virus. I could’ve been sitting with my feet up, watching Netflix, whilst the government pays 80% of my salary. Or, at least getting out and riding the Surrey Hills every day, which at least would’ve out me in some level of discomfort.
I launched this app because I think it is needed but also because I wanted to take the opportunity to grind whilst I was granted all this free time. It means getting up two hours earlier than I would probably done if I did not have anything overly productive to do. However, I see the potential to help a lot of guys who really need to get a handle on their physical and mental performance and health.
It can be stressful. It can be frustrating. It can be disheartening when things take a couple of steps backwards. My girl will say, ‘take a couple of days off’, but I refuse.
I’d rather go throught two to three months of all in investment. Even if it takes six to eight months. Even if I have to do this and my normal full time job in the coming months. I’d rather go through the short period of whatever it takes, ALL IN investment of my time, money and energy, than to trade a short period for a long period of average.
Some of you need to look at your life differently. You need to stop complaining about how you are having to handle this and that, how you need to deal with stuff throws at you, and you need to adopt a long term perspective.
Would you rather it easier now and harder for the next forty years. Would you rather sit on the couch now and not be able to get off the couch later. Would you rather cruise through work now and not reach your full potential. Or, would you rather do the work now, and consistently throughout your life, so that in three months, five years, or fifty years, you can live the life you want to live, in the health and well-being that you want.
Would you rather let the weight slowly creep up and end up with metabolic diseases such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, cancers and dementia, or would you rather establish a good diet and exercise routine and be consistent with it, so that you can live to enjoy your grandchildren and senior years.
Would you rather let your thoughts and emotions get the best of you, repeatedly, so that your relationships fall apart or do the work to get them in check so that you respond to every situation how you want to, meaning you live a long happy life with the people you love around you.
Would you rather be tired every day of your life, with mental fog and fatigue, or practice good sleep hygiene and mindfulness practices so that you are firing on all cylinders at work and get the promotions and accolades that you are capable of achieving, meaning your retire with having the career you desired.
I see a lot of people who are not willing to endure the requisite struggle and suffering to come out the other side and prosper. I see a lot of people who are not willing to sacrifice in the short term to have happiness and self image in the long term. I see a lot of people who do not want to go through what it takes, whether that be making sacrifices of times, financial, short term highs, effort.
People say, “I don’t want to eat healthily because my friends will find me boring and fussy”. Who cares what your friends think. They are not responsible for your body. You have to honour the body you have, and respect it, and anyone who can not respect you respecting yourself do not deserve to be in your life anyway.
I’d rather go through a condensed period of pain that suffer for the next thirty to forty years. Whatever is going on in your life, look at it in terms of the future, in terms of long term. Enjoy and endure, because the alternative is that you take your foot off the accelerator now and in fifty years you will regret it. You can not go back and go through what you needed to go through to reverse the slow decline.
Yours optimally,
Scott