Photo by Jocelyn Holt

LOS ANGELES—A client of mine recently expressed her discontentment with the world and its free ability to simply give up and walk away when the going gets tough. She was of course referring to employees in the corporate world, but I inquired, “What about other elements of life? What about working out? Giving up when you think you can’t carry on or push through the pain barrier on that treadmill? Or complete that last dumbbell rep? Is it ok to give up then?”

“No,” came her curt reply. “Never give up if you want to be superior at anything.”

She wasn’t wrong. Hard work pays off when it comes to all aspects of life including career, relationships, exercise and diet. The key is knowing when it is working and sticking at it. Most people will “give up” because they feel they are not achieving their set goals, they become bored, they feel they aren’t good enough or they feel they are not deserving of that goal, so they walk away from it completely.

I have seen people come through some terrible divorces and broken relationships, emerging out the other side a far stronger person with a clearer vision of their goals and aspirations. It is the utilization of the product of such an experience that allows them to go on to improve their lives for a better, more fulfilling and prosperous future. Often this spurs them to push on and be incredibly successful at everything they turn their hand to. If it isn’t meant for you, if it doesn’t feel right, then change your vision; shift your target goal. For example, if you are bored in a particular training regime, change it. Start a dance class, take up a new sport, or hire a personal trainer to give you the motivation and encouragement when you need it the most. But never give up if it is what you really, really want. When it comes to losing weight, it takes a will of steel to resist the old habit of reaching for those tempting fatty, sugary foods, but it takes an even bigger will to do that and train hard enough to leave a calorie deficit every day. If a day goes by where you slipped up from your healthy eating and overindulged in a chocolate bar or had too many glasses of wine with dinner, don’t be disheartened. Start again the following day and you will be back on track before you know it. However, the end vision, the goal, should not be a final stop at the end of a race. It is an ongoing life change for the better that can be stuck at and maintained: and this is the difference. Achieving the perfect physique is a goal, but fitness, wellness and health are a state of being that are not a sole target but an ongoing lifestyle choice that should be embraced and nurtured in the long term.

Identify what is important to you, and learn to know what really matters. We all want to look and feel good, both inside and out, and we all know the benefits of fitness and healthy eating. Giving up, therefore, is not an option because it is the maintenance of a healthy life choice that will allow us to go on to live a longer and happier life.  A true desire to be successful at anything—be it in your chosen career or to be fitter than ever before— is all achievable. The mind just has to want it and believe it because if the mind believes, then anything is possible.

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