The Most Important Trait For Success

By Dan Grant
[Trainer Talk]
What quality is essential to your fitness success?  Dan Grant shares how you can reach your goals.
When I went to bed last night my goal was to wake up earlier than normal this morning so I could get more done.  In theory it’s a great idea, but sometimes from a practical standpoint it’s a pain in the arse.  No matter what your intention, when the alarm goes off you’re tempted to hit the snooze button to get just a little bit more rest that’ll make all the difference.  Well, we know that’s not true, but that never really stops us from snoozing multiple times.

After hitting the snooze button twice, it was finally time to force myself out of bed to go grab a glass of water and a banana (I decided to save the big breakfast until after some work got completed).  I should also mention that it’s Saturday today and waking up this early on a Saturday will make some people think I’m crazy.

Once I get to my computer I do a quick email check, quick since there’s literally nobody who would email me this early in the morning.  Then it’s work time.  I have a list of things that need to get done, but I’m drawing a blank as to where to start.  Now my brain starts trying to trick me.

The Evil Mind

You know how the brain works sometimes when you are doing things a bit out of the ordinary, don’t you?  It doesn’t like it and will try anything to get you back into your regular routine (whether it’s a good routine or a bad one).  Right away my brain is trying to convince me that my eyes are tired and maybe a bit of time on the couch and some television is a way better option than working.  I mean, productivity doesn’t really seem to be flowing at the moment.  It actually sounds like a good idea to me, but I ignore it and just start typing an article I need to get done.

As I start typing and making progress my brain is still trying to tell me that not doing this is a way better option and to be honest, I would love to just give in and maybe take a bit of a nap (even though I’ve only been up for an hour).  But I keep typing and pressing forward making sure nothing is going to stop me today.

The Success Trait

I finish the article and I feel good.  I wouldn’t have gotten it done until later in the day if I had slept in and now I’ve opened up some time to maybe go for a coffee with someone or even check out a movie with no thoughts of work on my mind.  All because of a battle with a familiar enemy to us all:  DISCIPLINE!

Discipline really is the key to all success.  When it comes to fat loss training, the discipline to get your workouts in, take the extra time to plan meals, say no to alcohol, junk food and desserts, skip nights out with friends and resist hitting that snooze button.

Believe me, your mind is not going to like it one bit.  Sure, right away you’ll have that motivation to ignore it, but for the most part habits die hard and it takes a lot of work to get new, more beneficial habits ingrained into your subconscious mind.
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