The Red in your ledger.

I wonder as you read this do you feel the weight of your past? Do you feel all the wrongs you’ve committed?

All of the mistakes.

All of the people you’ve hurt or let down.

The times you faltered.

The times you failed.

I wonder, do you feel as I have, that your past robs your future because it was too bad to warrant any good in your life? As Black Widow said, “I have a lot of red in my ledger.”

The sad thing is that we condemn ourselves to remaining forever in our own way. Shackled to our sins. Unable to accept redemption because we really don’t feel like we can “wipe it clean.” We look to the past as precept to all the potential that we will ever have. As if yesterday is somehow irrevocably locked into tomorow so that time no longer bends to the whims of today.

We plod along, filled with condemnation for ourselves, as if we are the only ones who ever fell short of our ideals. Trust me, you are not alone in your shortcomings. We all stand in that line.

Ideals are by defintion something we seek to aspire to but are never attained. None of us are perfect after all. But when failure to reach our aspirations leaves you filled with desperation we have to ask, “Should you reset your compass?”

You can’t start where you wish you were. You must start where you are; here today. With all your past mistakes and misdeeds. Know that all it makes you is human, but what a powerful thing to be.

You remain the physical manifestation of potential. Just like the earth from which you came, no matter your current state, you remain maliable–able to be reshaped with the hammer of discpline. No matter how many times you are broken down, you can always be rebuilt anew. The only thing holding you back is living in yesterday.

As V said, “The past can’t hurt you anymore. Not unless you let it.”

It’s time you stopped.

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman

It’s a shame we’re fat.

I recently came across a tweet that had a picture that we often use here at Soldierfit for a visual of the fat that really matters – visceral. In the accompanying text, the doctor touches on the the absurdity of fat shaming while at the same time pointing out that as a physcian he cannot pretend the health risk associated with obesiety do not exist.

There is no doubt about it, being overweight or obese poses serious health risk to the individual. Still we have to ask, is it any of our bussiness to address it? The answer, especially if we end up going to a universal health care model, is pretty straight forward.

Yes.

“One of the most cited economic impacts of the obesity epidemic is on direct medical spending. Obesity is linked with higher risk for several serious health conditions, such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, asthma, and arthritis. Direct medical spending on diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, therefore, is likely to increase with rising obesity levels. Several studies offer retrospective or prospective estimates of the degree of disease incidence that can be linked to obesity, and of the magnitude of associated direct medical costs.”-https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3047996/

The reality (that everyone knows) is that we have an obesity epidimic in our country. The rates have doubled since 1970. Two-thirds of our country is now overweight. Even without universal health care it still affects all of us in some shape or form.

It can drive up insurance cost for companies.

It can add strain to team members who need to pick up slack due to lack of productivity based on team members who have to take increased time off due to illiness.

It can afffect family members who have to deal with the ramifications of the onset of obesity related health concerns.

illustration for overweight NCO’s cheating on Army promotion boards in the Gannett Government Media photo studio in Springfield, Virginia, on Wednesday, August 13, 2014. (Mike Morones/Staff)

Hell, it even affects our national defense. The United States military has cited it as a major national security issue because it reduces the capabilites of recruits and those who are already in armed services.

The truth is, being obese isn’t a solitary issue. It spreads to your circle. But let’s be super clear about one thing. That does not now, nor will it ever, condone fat shaming.

You simply can’t lift anyone up while putting them down.

However, that doesn’t mean that we can continue as a nation, as fitness profesionals, and as parents avoid the hard conversation with those we love and with ourselves.

Our choices are killing us.

Each and every day we make a choice with our mouth and our body. And sadly for the majority of Americans, we are choosing to move less and eat more. The worst part of this is that we continue to make this choice despite the overwhelming amount of research that we are killing ourselves.

My challenge to everyone who reads this is to have that hard conversation with yourself first. Then start making changes in your own life. Once you do, or if you are already there, start mentoring someone you love.

Prove to them that you care by investing in them. As someone who used to be almost 300 lbs, who has struggled with his weight his entire life, I know the trepidation many face walking into a gym. Just because someone is overweight doesn’t mean they are lazy. Hell, some of the hardest workers I have ever met are overweight.

Still, if we are to ever make a change as a nation and as individuals we need to be able to say the hard truth without worry of being accused of fat shaming.
So I say now to everyone, what I once said to myself:
It’s a shame that we are fat.

Not because it makes us worth less, matter of fact it’s because of the exact opposite.

Our lives are worth so much more.

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman

But, it ain’t fair.

Perhaps there is nothing more taxing on my patience than the person who laments the “fairness” of life. They wax on poetically about their latest slight, real or otherwise, and expect the world to come to join in their private pity party. Misery loves company, especially when the company is giving you a pass for giving up. After all, they want you to say it’s O.K. when they quit too.

If I’d focused on what was fair, I’d never have made it where I am today, and trust me, just like you, I had a lot in my life that wasn’t “fair.”

I have been abandoned.
I was molested.
I dug through the rubble to find bodies in the Pentagon.
I fought in a war.
I have struggled with the transition.
I have failed in business.
I have failed in marriage.
I was homeless.
I failed (thankfully) at suicide.

I was down, and it felt like the world was doing their best two-step on my ass while I was. I felt like quitting multiple times. I won’t lie, I came close several. But, I was once told, “Courage is fear that held on a moment longer.” So, I held on.

Then, little did I know at the time, it was my indifference to what wasn’t fair that would change my life.

I had signed up to take an MMA fight. I had no illusions of grandeur. I never thought I’d be pro. I simply wanted to challenge myself while having a little male bonding time with my brother from another, Dave Posin. What happened next wasn’t fair. But it happens all the time at the amateur level.

My opponent got switched at the last minute.
The new guy lied about his record; he said he no fights when he had seven.
He didn’t make weight, missed it by 20lbs.
He was the head coach for the other team.

My coaches even knew it wasn’t fair and didn’t want me to fight him. By this time I’d learned fair didn’t have shit to do with it. So I asked to be allowed to fight him anyway.

I told Master Mike, I can’t promise I’ll win, but I promise I won’t embarrass you.

I went out there and proceded to get my ass kicked.

As I was getting ready to pass out, I remembered what I told Mike; I promise I won’t embarrass you.

And so I fought on, coming back and winning with just a few seconds left in the round. That night changed my life. It launched Soldierfit when Mike came up to me after and said; “You won’t quit, would you like to bring your program in my gym.”

Had I focused on what was fair, I wouldn’t be married to Jen. I wouldn’t have two beautiful little girls with her. I wouldn’t have 14 gyms under our brand. I wouldn’t be living this dream, and thousands of people wouldn’t have found a home and family with us.

So the next time you are focused on what’s fair, instead of what you can do with what you got, just think of me and remember that the biggest travesty in life isn’t someone who was mistreated.

It’s someone who falls into the trap of victimhood because it focuses on what limits us rather than what empowers us.

The empowered person sees only opportunity.
The victim sees only opposition.

One will go on to shatter through glass ceilings and barriers by proving that not only do they belong but that we couldn’t do it without them.
The other will go to the grave with all their talents and abilities never shared muttering “life wasn’t fair.”

It’s not your Friends list. It’s you.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. “I am deleting Facebook. It’s just too negative” or “I am purging my friends list, sorry if you don’t make the cut.” People take to the social media platform to dramatically share that they are cutting or purging all the drama from their lives. “Isn’t it ironic, don’t you think?”

I learned long ago a lesson that has stood the test of time. Those who tell the world they hate drama are always the initiators of it. The reason they can never outrun it is because they are carrying it on their back. The negativity you find is that which you went looking for. And the truth? You love it.

How do I know you love it? You keep finding it.

The truth is that we all go through this phase at some point or another. Mostly in our youth where we believe that we can change everything and everyone in the world. We stop finding it when we decide to grow up and focus on the things we can actually change. Now, don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a pessimistic post. I am not saying that you cannot change the world. You can. You just can’t change all of it. So it’s time to pick your battles.

That part took me a while to grasp. I wanted to right every injustice I saw. Stand up for every man, woman, and child. I wanted to “be the change.” But change takes time and sadly time is the only thing that all of us have in very limited supply.

That’s why social justice warriors actually accomplish so little. They are so busy trying to be involved in everything that they never accomplish anything.

When you pick up your “social sword” and wage “holy war” on every perceived slight known to man don’t be shocked that you’re exhausted by noon. When you try to be friends with everyone, don’t be surprised when you are loved by no one. When you take to social media to declare that you are removing the privilege of being friends with you on the internet, don’t be insulted that no one cared.

After all, we were just getting ready to “unfriend” you ourselves. We just weren’t going to be all dramatic about it.

Everyone hates the peanut gallery. Yet, here we remain, a world full of “nuts.”

All it takes is a quick scroll on social media to find the peanut gallery is always standing room only. People are quick to opine on everything you do.

How you should dress.

What you should eat.

Who you should vote for.

They got “plays” for days.

The problem is most of ’em have never even been in a game. They never laid it all out on the line. They never risked it all and chanced the fall. You know how you know? If they did the last thing, all they’d look to do is tear someone else down.

People who’ve “done it” have very little desire to attack someone one else who’s trying to do “it.” They are interested only in helping others like them, that, or they simply shut their mouth.

People attack the “doers” because if they messed up the deed they can chime in and say how stupid it was to even try. If they did the deed, have no fear, now they can nitpick at how it could have been done just a little bit better or faster. They make these attacks because the act of doing something disproves all the excuses they have sold to themselves and the world.

Your actions make them a liar and everyone hates to be called out.

So, unless they’re calling you “coach,” running your mouth on the sideline is pointless–no one’s listening.

They’re too busy scoring.

If you think you can make the play, put the keyboard down and get in the game.

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman

Check Please!

check please

I recently stumbled across a post on Facebook geared towards women and the table of friends they often find themselves sitting at. One that makes them the point of conversation when they walk away, and not in a flattering manner. While this particular piece was geared towards women and gossip, I felt it fell short in explaining how you arrive at that table in the first place.

There is a Bible verse that talks about change that serves to remind us that everything has its own place and time. The problem is that we keep dressing as if it were last season.

As I turn 40 next month I have seen that changing tide quite a bit in my life. I have learned, often the hard way, that people I thought were “ride or die” were simply tagging along to their exit. And guess what? That’s ok. Matter of fact, for the most part, that’s appropriate.

After all, we are all growing.

I mean, let’s take a step back and look at yourself. Are you still running with the people who used to occupy a lot of your time? For the most part, I hope the answer is no. Sometimes you outgrow them and sometimes they outgrow you. In running this marathon we call life none of us run at the same pace.

Evolution is a natural part of life – if you are living correctly. At 40 years old, if you’re still going to the club every weekend, more power to you, but I personally think you’re missing the point. Somewhere along the line growing up means moving on to bigger and better goals. It means striving for more than just instant gratification. It’s about chasing big dreams and being the hero to your tribe–spouse, children, and a close circle of friends. All of that takes time and patience.

That is where everyone finds themselves in a bind. They keep trying to be there for everyone. From this season to last.

You must learn that every acquaintance ain’t your friend and every friend ain’t your family. What’s more, that doesn’t make them bad or an enemy. It makes them human with a limited capacity to care– just like you.

Once you come to terms with this you’ll stop getting your feelings hurt when someone at your table says, “Check, please.”

More importantly, you’ll be okay asking for it yourself.

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman

Someday isn’t on the calender for a reason.

Q1 and you.

Where are you right now? No, I don’t mean physically. I mean where are you in regards to accomplishing your goals for this year? You know the ones you made in that dead space where nothing productive really happens between Christmas and New Years. Somewhere along there, either on a couch or in drunken ecstasy, you set resolutions to make 2018 your year!

So where are you? I ask because Valentine’s day served a dual role. Not only was it a day to either tell someone you loved em or to wallow in the fact that you are currently single, it also happened to be the midway point in Q1 of YOUR year. Do you have any clue how close you are to making that resolution come true? Or, are you still as lost as when you were drunk in IHOP on New Years Day?

Statistics state that 92% of you are still feeling lost. That’s right, just 8% of folks achieve their New Years resolutions. But why? Why do we continue to strive for greatness every December only to have forgotten about our goals by Valentine’s day? Why do we settle for the absoluteness of failure when we all know it should be finite?

I mean think about it, nothing is more American than the come from behind underdog story! We love to hear tales of the little guy or girl who was knocked down by defeat only to rise like a phoenix from the ashes to snatch final victory from the jaws of defeat! So why don’t we do it ourselves?

In a 90 minute movie, the hero doesn’t have time to forget their motivation. In life, not so much. Sure time waits for no man, but as the saying “Days are long, years are short” implies those long days cause us to lose sight of our goals in all the mess of everyday living.

How can you be focused on your goal of losing weight, starting the company, or loving your spouse when the car broke down, lil Timmy has the flu, and the boss is breathing down your neck for the TPU report? Then one morning, in the middle of all of that living, you wake up and instead of losing weight you’re up 5lbs, your company seems as attainable as a unicorn, and you haven’t hugged your spouse in a month…

Then, as you feel your sanity slipping away, you accept defeat just 7 weeks into the year. Doomed to repeat the cycle again. It doesn’t have to be this way. This is your Q1 wake-up call! So let’s get down to work, shall we?

Everyone has goals; it’s the plans they lack.

Everyone I have ever met has a goal. But the vast majority of them have zero plans in place to accomplish them. From weight-loss to small business startup, success relies on the following three things.

Planning.
Showing up.
Consistency

Planning:

As we were instructed in the Army “failure to plan is planning to fail.” Even in an organization that has Murphy’s law etched into its soul ( No plan survives first contact) we planned, and planned, and planned some more. Why? Because when you force yourself to plan out all the possibilities, good and bad, you won’t be quite as shocked when that first contact comes; and trust me, it’s coming. With a plan, you are prepared for it, even the unexpected because you expected something to go wrong. The flip side is that when you don’t formulate a plan when you get punched in the face for the first time it does more than just bruise your ego. It knocks you flat on your ass.

Showing up:

If people were paid for talking we wouldn’t have a broke person on Earth. It is easy to talk about an idea. It is easy to say what “would, could, or should” work. The difficult part is stepping up to the plate and risking striking out in front of everyone you care about. But what you need to remember is that even if you strike out, you’ll get another at-bat and you are only one swing away from the game-winning home run.

Consistency:

Of the three I think this one proves to be the most difficult for people to do. Even though it’s a small number of people who will create a plan, those that do find it relatively easy to do at first. With a plan in place, we can typically even get them to show up. They are even motivated to be there! But what finally does them in is the failure to be consistent after that first punch in the jaw. I call this the Mike Tyson effect.

Back in his prime his opponents would have a plan, they would show up, but Iron Mike was the punch in the face they just couldn’t handle. So much so, that he made the famous quote “Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth!” That my friends could be the story of life.

Those hard times are coming. The times where you feel like the breath has been knocked out of you. When you are down on one knee and life is laughing at you. When you are overwhelmed by the enormity of everything you have to do, and everything you want to do. Those days when you lose a battle and go home with your tail tucked between your legs. It is in those moments that you are one night’s sleep away from the what will define you. The next day, bruised, battered, and doubting, will you show back up? Or will you say it’s not in the cards right now and quit under the justification that “someday” you’ll do it?

If you chose the latter just remember Someday isn’t on the calendar for a reason.

#Justheramblingsofanolinfantryman

Where does the dream start?

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’- Martin Luther King, Jr.

Today is one where many kids stay home and folks from around the world post quotes and memes to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. Our news feeds will be filled with his quotes from every conceivable corner of social media. From our friends and family to the local clothing stores we follow, all the way up to the political leaders of our nation, each will do their part to honor the man whose legacy carries on long after his untimely passing due to an assassin’s bullet. My only issue with this is that I don’t think many of them even take the time to really read the words they just posted.

We share words about equality, and yet we turn a blind eye to inequality daily. We exalt his dream, one where we join together hands in hands and live as one. However, at every turn, we seek to alienate ourselves as far away from those with differing views as possible. How can you post about coming together when you are determined to stand alone? Rember “If everyone is thinking the same way, someone isn’t thinking.” – George S. Patton.

Society loves to quote about Dr. King’s insight on darkness, and yet we make a loud and cantankerous breakdown of those whom we have disdain or disagreement with. Where is the light to be found in those vicious attacks on your fellow man? Where is the love to be found in your lack of empathy for those who have walked a path different than yours?

We speak of living a life that matters to honor him but if we believe his words to be true many of us have already started to die inside as we turn a blind eye to the cruelty that we see others demonstrate right here on feeds, our schools, and our places of work. We hit “like” and “Love” and “Smiles’ on Instagram and Facebook at some pour souls misfortune. We share a hearty laugh at others and secretly applaud when our neighbors fail. But, hey, we posted a quote about love.

I do not write this from a perch of perfection. I falter far more than I wish I did. While I am not a bible thumper, I do believe in the man above, and I do believe in the notion of original sin, and thus I know I am a fallen man. So for me, despite all of his magnificent words, I find his most powerful to be the ones listed in the opening paragraph. The intent of this writing wasn’t to condemn any of you, it was to challenge you, and me, to do what he told us too. To start first with ourselves, and challenge ourselves to do more for others. After all, we don’t remember Martin Luther King, Jr for everything he received. We remember him for everything he gave.

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman.

From the Wild West to Westeros

Like an old western Saturday morning show more and more Americans are turning into damsels in distress. There, the kick and scream, tied to the tracks of life. All the while desperately hoping someone else will swoop in and save them before the train called FATE runs them over and the curtain drops.

Speaking of the Wild West, thank God this nation expanded back then. Lord knows it wouldn’t happen today. The average first world problem walking around wouldn’t know what to do if they were expected to rough it on their own. Hell, forget rough it, they aren’t prepared to go without Starbucks for a day! No way you’d catch them sleeping alone in a wild and untamed country. Back then being the damsel was something to be looked down upon. Frowned at. Now it appears it is a badge of honor. Everyone wants someone else to save them. Or at the very least they want to blame everyone else that the train is merely doing its job on the tracks.

I am of the belief that this all stems from lack of accountability, replaced with a whole lot of “ME’S.” In a world of Instagram and “instagratification” society has become a spoiled child. It knows it is mad, is sure it is justified, but as it lies there kicking and screaming in the middle of aisle 10; those of us who have seen the realities of the world outside our mother’s basement can’t muster the strength to feign empathy any longer. Now before you go thinking this is a millennial bashing post, don’t. It’s an American problem and cuts across multiple generations.

Let’s start with good ol’ mom & dad.

One of my biggest pet peeves is when my generation and older bash the Millenials. Let’s run through the standard dribble, shall we? “They have no drive!” “They don’t know what hard work is!” or “They don’t know how to wait for good things to come!” “They have no patience!” To you, the angry mob of age, I only ask the following? Who raised them?

Suddenly, a hush falls over the crowd. I have found that is amazingly easy to shift the burden of responsibility. After all, that is what today’s blog is about isn’t it? Maybe, just maybe the millennials learned that from you ol’ grouchy grandfather. You see it was you who set no boundaries. It was you who thought manners were only for those of yesteryear. It was you who wanted to be a friend first, parent second. You ushered in this new generation with your lack of commitment to the thing that mattered most; the raising of the future.

From the Wild West to Westeros

To the Millennials who fit the bill…..this one’s for you.

Everyone knows ol’ boy to the right? Remember how happy you were when he died? Side note, not even upset if I spoiled that for you, that happened 3 years ago. Get your life right. Anyway, in a show filled with cruelty, murder, mayhem, and rape, the entire world didn’t ban together in unified hate for his character for any of those. Matter of fact, those are the reasons most of us watch the show in the first place. No, the reason we hated him is that he was the embodiment of the guy who did nothing but thought that he was due everything. Let’s face it, if there ever were a poster child for the perceived shortcomings of the Millennial generation, it would be Jefforyboy.

While as I mentioned earlier, you have arrived at this current state through no real fault of your own it makes no difference to the reality in which you live. Your attitude makes folks hate you and wish for your timely demise on your wedding day. Your wife won’t notice. She’s busy “snapchatting” the big day to all her friends with dog ears on. How cute. You were getting a puppy too!

You see Jeffory wasn’t really to blame for his asshole nature either. He was a spoiled kid, raised by shithead parents, that thought Kingslanding and all of Westeros owed him something. Tragic though his plight may be, we still all wanted him dead. And that is where many of you will find yourselves. Lots of folks wishing you were dead or at least working somewhere else. The only way to avoid this horrific wedding date with destiny is to shake loose the shackles of your dependence for getting your way right now, and start playing the long game. After all, everyone loves Jon Snow.

Snow, everyone’s favorite, or second favorite character on the show, arrived at his place the old-fashioned way. He fought. He struggled. He survived. He surely didn’t take the time to research every possible way that the hard way, the one that lacked discipline, didn’t work. He didn’t seek out some random study someone somewhere in Kings Landing did that said something along the lines of; “Oh no…You must have a perfect work-life balance!” No, Jon just woke up every day, cold or not (it was always cold) and he went outside and swung his damn sword. In short, he was disciplined. As my man JoKo says “Discipline equals freedom” and it sure set Mr. Snow free. Literally.He didn’t cry when he found out he was a bastard. Ok, well maybe a little, but he still went, and that counts for something. He didn’t cry when he found out zombies were real…and frozen. He didn’t scream when all the folks at his office Christmas party stabbed his ass to death. He didn’t cry when he slept with his cousin…wait. I don’t doubt that part. He may have cried there. Anyway, that’s not the point. The point is the guy we all loved didn’t bitch: he did!! The guy we hated bitched all the way up until he died.

So how do you end up the king of the North instead of the one they make puppet plays about after you are gone? The answer is simple. Stop looking for easy. Stop looking for now. Realize that anything worth having is going to come with a lot of long, long winters. That the process that brings you to success may bring you there a little worse for wear. You may arrive burned, disfigured, and emotionally scarred. But no matter what, brave the cold regardless of how long it takes; because if you do you’ll appreciate the time that sun falls warm on your face as you sit upon your own iron throne.

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman.

Is it a New Year or Ground Hog day?

I recently enrolled Dave and me in a program that we absolutely love, The 90 day year. This program was created by the man pictured below, Todd Herman. Now I don’t make a dime for referring you to his plan, but you should definitely check it out. Especially if you are an entrepreneur!

During our latest support session he talked about how every change we try to implement in our lives falls into 5 basic categories; START, STOP, DO MORE, DO LESS, or CONTINUE doing something. Then he said something that even though it really was self-evident, seemed profound to me. “When attempting to START or STOP something is when we need the most help and/or resources.” Planes and rocketships, for example, burn fuel at a much higher rate taking off than they do once they reach cruising altitude.

So what does this have to do with you? Well, it is January, and WE ARE in the fitness industry. So you know what that means. The whole notion of a “New year, new you” is as cliche as they come, right? Yet every single year the majority of people end up right back where we were the year before; like our version of one of my favorite films- Groundhog Day. Destined to repeat a life that we loathe day in and day out…..All of sudden the buzz of the alarm clock just got a lot more annoying right?

p14569_p_v8_ay — A cinematic masterpiece.

Now, wait, don’t grab your toaster and bring it to the bathroom just yet. All you need to remind yourself is that if one us has been able to break the cycle, then ALL of us can. All we need to do is 3 things: decide, plan, and execute.

DECIDE.

No one can make you succeed. No one can do the work for you, though as I’ll touch on in the planning portion, people sure can be a huge help or hindrance; but more on that later. As for this block, this is where you have to figure out what you really want to do. What do you care the most about? Do you care more about your health OR do you care more about sitting on the couch? As the old saying goes; “You can have your dreams or your excuses, you just can’t have both.” So make that decision to act!!! Then it’s time to…

PLAN.

The reason all New years goals go somewhere to die in mid-January or early February is no one took the time to plan for their second trip to the gym. It has been said that the “Devil is in the details”, I am here to tell you that sumbitch is in the planning or lack thereof. As we stated above starting or stopping something is the hardest thing we do in our life. If we don’t provide it with the right resources to help with lift-off, then we are only going to crash and burn. But what you should you plan for? Well below are a few tips from a guy that has always struggled with his weight.

You ever heard the term “Pay yourself first”? The same thing applies to working out. Each week ( preferably on Sunday) Plan out your workouts for that week. Then build your schedule AROUND your workouts. Stop making the excuse you are busy. World leaders and major CEO’s are busy too….they still make time to work out. SCHEDULE IT!!
Find an “accountablibuddy.” Listen, in the military, we had “Battle Buddies,” and we couldn’t go anywhere without em. They kept you safe, and many times they kept you sane. At the end of the day we are herd creatures, and we like to go with the crowd. So find yourself a group with the same goals as you. As much this next part may sound harsh, if you want to elevate yourself, you need to become friends with folks who are trying to do the same in their own lives. This applies to all spectrums. Now I am not telling you to ditch all your current friends. I am merely speaking a truth that many shy away from. Either your friends are bettering you, or they are holding you down. Do your best to motivate them, but if they refuse to budge then find someone who’s as ready to improve as you are. It will change your life I promise.
Plan your meals ahead of time. If eating is your enemy, then flank it! Don’t allow the evil terrorist known as Junk food sneak into your house. Don’t go grocery shopping when you’re starving. Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store. The inner aisle is a “fatal funnel” to both your arteries and your belt size.
Once you have gotten your chow hall stocked with healthy food make sure you make your M.R.E’s to take with you throughout the day, so you don’t dip into Mcdonalds for a quick refuel. Your beach photo’s and your wallet will be glad you did come summer.

Execute.

“The most talented place in the world is the graveyard.” That is where everyone carried their great ideas because so few of us chose to act on them. Don’t be one of those people!! Put your plan into action. Follow through. Stop telling yourself you have no discipline! The most important person you should ever lead is yourself. The words you say aloud and in your head is the reality you create. Stop leading yourself to failure. Speak into existence a future you wish to have, and I promise you’ll be amazed at the changes that take place. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at some of the “Troops” pictured below. It could be you next…

#Justtheramblingsofanolinfantryman