I know that I am ranting about this in April; a couple of months late, but one of my biggest pet peeves about a person’s New Year’s revolution is when it is to start working out again. The reason I hate this so much is because the majority of the people who say they are going to start exercising again in their New Year’s Revolution stop using their gym membership in just a few short weeks. I feel like the reason for this is because they are not able to answer the hardest question. WHY ARE YOU EXERCISING? This is a question that very few can answer with sincerity in their heart, but when you can, you can be committed. A lot of people who are just starting back up say that they just want to lose weight, tone up, build muscle mass, or they have some other very common reason. A lot of the times you really need some other reason that is personal to you that will drive you to succeed. That is why there are so many gym memberships collecting dust. Most people who start back up after a long break do not have the commitment to lose weight, tone up, or build muscle mass because they do not know how to make it personal to themselves so they lose interest. Your why has got to be something that motivates you so much that when you wake up in the morning it is the first thing you think about. Your why needs to be that one thing that when you feel like you are getting discouraged all you have to do is think about that one thing and it keeps you going through the day and through your workout. Could it be to lower your chance of heart disease because it runs in your family? Did one of your close friends just suffer a mild heart attack because he/she is so unhealthy? Could it be because you want to be able to play with your kids again? Could it be because you are tired of having to wait for that close parking spot because you know that if you park far away you will be out of breath before you make it to the front door? What kind of influence do you want to have on your kids as they grow up? These are some of the personal questions that you have to ask yourself when you are thinking about why you want to do something, especially starting back up at the gym when you have had such a long absence. Starting to exercise again can be very challenging because it takes so much effort but it is easy when you figure out why you want to do it. Anyone can make a New Year’s Resolution. But it takes a special kind of someone to know exactly what they have to do to keep going and improve their quality of life. The best thing about it is that quality is inside all of us. Once you find it you will know it. Stop making yourself empty promises. Reach down deep. Ask yourself, “What is my why?” Answer that question and you will find that quality of life you have been missing.  I have answered my, “Why?” Can you answer yours?

Jared Hardcastle