Eating frogs.

     Everyone wants to be successful. 

The issue of actually accomplishing succes is two fold, IMO. 

1. People don't know exactly what they need to do to get there. 

2. People aren't willing to do what needs to be done in order to accomplish it.

     Lets use the issue of weightloss in this post just to illustrate my point. It's hands down, the most difficult "problem" of our society to overcome. We live in a nation where more than 1/3 of its constituents are obese. According to the CDC, approximately 78 MILLION people in the greatest nation on earth, are not just overweight, but seriously obese. It doesn't really make sense if you think about it. How does a country full of financial and knowledge wealth, also maintain the worlds largest population of overweight adults and children? Is it because we are all genetically predisposed to obesity? Is it because there aren't enough food choices where we live? Or maybe it's simply because there isn't time to eat healthily, exercise, or meal plan. Whatever the issue it seems we are trying to overcome, there are always excuses for why we simply can't overcome them, but if you were to ask me, the true cause and solution are far more simple than most people really want to believe. 

    It's far easier to give a a scientific or socioeconomic explanation for failure than it is to do what it takes to be successfully. So what is it? What exactly are people at the top doing that's so much different from the rest of us? I'm going to make it very simple.

     Here it is: Short and sweet. In fact, I really am just going to cut it down to two very easily understandable solutions. Number 1: What exactly needs to be done to be successful? The answer: Reduce the minutae. I'm laymans terms: Cut the bullshit/the crap/the "extra" out of your life. My father, who is a minister preached a sermon this past Sunday that I wasn't able to hear (he lives 2300 miles away). Fortunately his words were so powerful, they carried themselves through social media directly to my ears. His message was simple: Your productivity is directly related to your ability to reduce the minutiae in your life.  Number 2: You must be willing to do what other people aren't willing to do in order to achieve your goal. The issue with part two, is that we are inherently lazy creatures who are constantly searching for the easiest and the fastest way to get what we want. Success doesn't work that way. There is a reason CEOs are usually first to rise in the morning, and last to hit the bed at night, and I assure you it has nothing to do with insomnia.

So let's see these two simple steps in action, shall we? 

     Going back to one of our nations greatest failures, weightloss, let's set aside excuses and find a way to succeed. 1. Reduce minutiae: Cut out unnecessary eating. Lunch with the girlfriends, fast food, junk food, mindless snacking, and alcohol are all (however enjoyable) completely unnecessary. Eat and drink what you need to live. Forget about fad diets. In the long run, you will never maintain a low carbohydrate, gluten free, south beach, diet while injecting b vitamin shots into your arm once a week and holding human chorionic gonadotropin drops under your tongue for the next 30 years! It's impossible. Eat what you need to survive and thrive and forget everything else. Part two: Do what unsuccessful people aren't willing to do. In this case, it's exercise. I know you didn't really want to hear that, because frankly, I don't either. The mere thought of heading to the gym after writing this post, makes me sweat profusely and break out in hives. The only way to get it done, is to "Just do it!" I read an amazing book by, Brian Tracy, called, "Eat that Frog!". The premise was incredible, and incredibly simple. He urges readers to cut their "to do" list short, and simply to do the most arduous task first. For me, it's exercise. There will never be a point where I just LOVE the gym. I'm not that girl. The point he made is this: If, in order to accomplish your goal, you have to eat a live frog everyday, it makes perfectly good sense to do that first. Don't wait till the evening when you've had it looming over your head all day. Get the worst part finished, so that, not only are you free from thinking about it all day, but you actually get it accomplished. Think about how awesome you feel when you FINISH a workout, especially early in the morning. It sets the tone for the rest of the day. 

     I use weightloss as an example here because it plagues so many of us, but in reality, these premises can be used in any area that you struggle with. Cut out the shit, and eat your frog FIRST. Don't make success any harder than it really is. Don't push it back any farther because you refuse to make it simple.

     Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to get to the gym. I'll respond to any emails regarding this post when the most important things in my list are finished. See how that works? 😉 Bon appetite!