Physical Fitness

Have you ever heard of someone setting a goal for themselves (especially around January 1 of any given year) to "become physically fit?" I think having that as a goal is much like having a goal of "seeing the world." Sounds lofty, but it's rather vague. After all, if your goal is to see the world, how will you know when you've accomplished it? Once you've visited every country one time? Sorry... still haven't seen everything.

Likewise, having a goal of becoming physically fit is far too vague. What does it mean? A person who runs two miles a day is certainly more physically fit than a person who sits on the couch 24/7. But a person who runs marathons is probably more physically fit than a person who runs two miles a day. And that marathon runner... boy, that's physically fit, right? But -- perhaps not in comparison to the person who completes an ironman competition... who might not quite measure up to the Olympian... who... See what I'm saying?

My goals for myself are to maintain a lifestyle that ensures I am always becoming more physically fit and healthy. This simply means generally eating foods that are natural, many of them being leafy and green. This also means a consistent workout routine that I often find challenging, yet rewarding. If I can do one more push-up today than I was able to do last week, I am on the right path. If I am daily adding more junk to my diet instead of more healthy food, I am heading in the wrong direction.

I've decided there is no such thing as "physically fit" that can be attained as an end-all goal. But there is always another adventure around the bend in an endeavor to remain as fit and healthy as possible.

Maybe I'm just weird - and that's okay. But I find it much more rewarding to have a life-long goal that is incremental to the point where I can be a winner every day... every week... into the next year. There is very little discouragement to be found in living this way.

So -- if today you're a couch potato, sipping a Coca Cola and munching bag after bag of Cheetos, first of all you should make sure you wash your hands well. That Cheeto cheese is dangerous! :) And second, you should make your first step in the right direction. What's the easiest step for you to take today? Keeping the Cheetos but going for a walk? Staying on the couch but trading the Cheetos for carrots? Either way, you're making a step in the direction of good health. Once you've done that, you can take a different step a different day.

But don't bog yourself down and get totally overwhelmed because you have a lofty goal without definition. Just take a step. Eventually, you'll look back and be amazed at how far you've come.