Thursday, February 23, 2012

To Commit or Not To Commit? That is the question!



com·mit·ment

  [kuh-mit-muhnt]  Show IPA
noun
      
1. a pledge or promise; obligation.
2. A 10 letter word that instills fear into your very soul. It penetrates so deep, that some of us become frozen with anxiety and doubt! 
3. A dark cloud that settles over you and only you, preventing you from ever reaching the sunlight!

Examples:
  • Your girlfriend asks you, "where is our relationship going?" 
    • How do you handle it? - You freeze!
  • A co-worker invites you to come to his/her birthday party. 
    • How do you handle it? - Come up with some lame excuse that you can't go. Really though, you are afraid that you won't know anyone there. 
  • Your good friend calls your phone? 
    • How do you handle it? - Don't answer! You'd rather listen to a voicemail message than engage in a conversation for more than 1 minute. Back to Facebook! 
  • A personal trainer offers you a free session. All you have to do is book it!
    • How do you handle it?
      • Schedule and flake at the last minute. 
      • "I'm gonna wait till I am in better shape" - (insert sarcasm here) Of course, makes sense!
      • "I'm not looking for a personal trainer right now" - Why would you take something for free???
      • Treat them like the end of a bad MATCH.COM date and say, "Sounds good! I'll call you..."
Whatever the situation, we are all guilty of letting the fear of commitment get to us. I'm here to provide you with a foolproof plan to slay the commitment dragon!  

Daniel Saltos' Baby Steps for People Dealing with Fitness Commitment Phobias
AKA - "DSBSPDFCP"
  1. Start small. 
  2. If you get overwhelmed, breathe. 
  3. Join a gym.
  4. Be realistic. 
  5. Find healthy foods YOU like. Not the ones Jennifer Aniston likes in the latest issue of Cosmo. 
  6. Ask questions when you're not sure. 
  7. Don't let the gym rat who lives next to you and runs 12 miles a day, intimidate you. 
  8. Go at your own pace.
  9. Challenge & Reward yourself. 
  10. Share your experience and success with someone who needs it. 

Commit to yourself
Before you can move forward, in any aspect of your life, you have to be willing to commit to yourself. No one is going to do it for you. 

Commit to a Trainer
After committing to yourself, you decide you are ready to work with a trainer. You must choose the right one. You do not want a trainer who tries to transplant their head onto your shoulders. The right trainer should understand your needs first, and build from there. In the many years that I have been a trainer, I have never had anyone say, "this is the worst decision I ever made!". Everyone gains something; a better body, knowledge, confidence, their youth, lower cholesterol, a TV role, or just a friend.

In summary, stop being afraid of that friend's phone call - You will have a stronger relationship. Go to that birthday party where you don't know anyone - You might meet some amazing people. Get on that treadmill - You'll find it doesn't bite. Take that trainer up on his offer - It just might be the best decision you ever made. 

"If you deny yourself commitment, what can you do with your life?" - Harvey Fierstein

 
 

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