He died before he could walk her down the aisle

Close your eyes and picture this.

(OK, maybe don’t do that because you won’t be able to read the rest of this, but you get where I’m going here)

Picture a man on his couch. His name is Serge. Obvious to anyone, he’s carrying one too many pounds.

But look into his eyes and you see he has so much to offer deep inside, but you can tell his weight is holding him back.

Now picture a 12-year-old girl running into the room.

“Daddy!”

His eyes light up. You can tell she’s his world. But he knows if he doesn’t change some core habits, he won’t be around long enough to enjoy those special moments in her life.

So, Serge does some digging and looks for a solution. And looks some more.

But instead of joining the Mansformation program with me or committing to anything at all, he says he can figure it out on his own.

Fast-forward 12 years.

A girl on her wedding day. Picture-perfect dress. The beach in the background. The happiest day of her life. Tears in her eyes. But they aren't tears of joy. The only man she loves as much as her husband isn’t there to walk her down the aisle.

Why?

He couldn’t change his habits, had a heart attack and passed away a few years before the wedding.

(Open your eyes now ??)

That’s what this is about.

I have two young daughters of my own.

It’s not about getting ripped for a magazine cover anymore (though that’s a noble goal and I won’t judge those who pursue it)

It’s about being the best version of yourself, projected out in the world, for as many years as you can muster so you're the best parent and human you can be.

But it all starts with making a commitment to yourself.

You intuitively know those magic pills, shrink wraps and 30-day challenges aren't sustainable.

Commitment and habits over the long haul are the key, not motivation or willpower.

It takes a non-negotiable commitment to yourself that you will eat better most of the time, stop going weeks without exercise, and practice self care as often as you can.

By getting your health handled, you'll produce 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 years.

You know all this. It’s the whole oxygen mask analogy you’ve heard 100 times before.

But how do you take action now when humans are hard-wired to delay the inevitable before it’s too late?

Keep reading…

Do you have this disease?

You are going to die. Gulp.

Even a lucky person who lives to 90 will have no problem fitting every day in their life on one sheet of paper (See the blog on waitbutwhy.com for a print version to keep this front of mind) 

Yep, the mortality rate of a human being is a perfect 100%.

Even Walt Disney didn't have enough money to live forever (though there’s a rumour he's cryogenically frozen awaiting the day when medical technology would be advanced enough to change that).

You are older at this moment than you’ve ever been before, and it’s the youngest you’re ever going to get.

But we humans, myself included, like to pretend death isn’t coming.

We like to put things off for “someday” in the future and cave into the plague known as procrastination.

Someday is a disease

Someday, I'll get in shape.

Someday, I'll start that passion project.

Someday, I’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 the place where everyone was a high school football star who could bench 300 pounds?

Yeah, that place.

Those who get it will make someday today, whether motivation exists or not.

Some people will take this as some sort of call to arms to start racking up credit card debt, chasing immediate gratification, and going on week-long binges because you only live once.

But that's not what this is about.

It's about sowing the seeds of your future now, so that they may blossom before you're too damn old to reap what you sow.

Time is running out

Picturing the end can help you take action.

But if measuring your life in years isn’t enough, you can measure it in activities or events.

To use myself as an example:

I’m 34, so let’s be super optimistic and say I’ll be hanging around getting upset watching the Jets play till I’m 80. If so, I have less than 50 Stanley Cup playoffs to endure.

That also means there are less than 50 summers left to enjoy.

If you have kids, you know how fast time goes. My kids won’t be this age forever and will in all likelihood be off to parts unknown in less than 20 years (or in my basement, it could go either way).

I know I come across a little doom and gloom, but this self-reflection always gives me pause and helps me prioritize. I hope it can do the same for you.

QUICK EXERCISE: Sit quietly with your thoughts or go for a walk without your phone. What things come to the forefront of your mind that you really want to do? This is usually telling. We don't listen to this voice in our head often enough.

Is it starting a business?

Getting in amazing shape so you can defy aging and shock your friends?

Having the confidence to go for that promotion or make a big change?

Whatever it is, just know it'll take effort and persistence.

I'll leave you with this great quote from Randy Pausch:

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.

Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”

Mitch Calvert is a Winnipeg-based fitness coach for men and women like his former self. Obese in his 20s, he now helps clients find their spark and lose weight for life. Are you ready to get someday started now? Mitch’s Mansformation Challenge closes to applications on Monday. Send an email to [email protected] with the word "Interested" in the subject line to get more details.