According to noted trainer and author, Jack Canfield, the vast majority of people have already given up on their New Year’s resolutions.  All of the goals, dreams and aspirations that they manufactured with hope on January 1st have already fallen apart.  The top two resolutions in America this year are to save more money and lose weight.  The challenge isn’t that these resolutions are too big or the dreams to grand, the simple truth is that the journey to accomplishing anything whatsoever is going to require consistent effort and determination mixed in with enough knowledge to get to the next level of success.

                The true issue with most people is that they give up too soon on their goals.  As a society we tend to be one of instant gratification.  In an era of PVR where we can skip past commercials on our 1000 channels of television, 24/7 communication where we can choose our level of availability and social networking we have become conditioned to merely ‘turn off’ anything that is difficult or unwanted.  Interestingly enough, merely staying the course is often all that is required to attain a goal.  Our natural human tendency is to withdraw from the uncomfortable and yet the reality is that the uncomfortable is often where we attain the results we desire.

                A study done by the MDRC, a non-profit government organization co-founded by the Ford Foundation, found that 9th graders in Chicago who missed less than five days per semester were 90% more likely to graduate high school.  Those students who missed 5-9 days per semester were only 63% as likely to graduate whereas missing 10-14 days dropped the potential graduation to only 41%.  The correlation is one where the more days missed the less likelihood a child will graduate.  Basically, what this study shows is that by merely showing up a student increases their success.

                What can we learn from this?  If you have ever hit the ‘snooze’ button on the alarm when your intentions had been to go to the gym early in the morning then you know exactly where I am going.  Simply getting up and heading to the gym, which is the most challenging part of the workout, on a consistent basis would be enough to yield body transformation.  The evidence actually supports that those who exercise in the morning tend to be more successful with their resolve.  Dr. Cedric Bryant, chief exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise, say’s that ‘morning exercisers tend to stick with their habit.’  Again, we know that consistency is the key to achieving any goal and the morning exercisers tend to lose more weight than those who exercise at other times of the day.

                The other truth, according to a feature on CNN, is that 7 out of 10 Americans do not exercise on a regular basis.  People with graduate degrees have a higher tendency to workout consistently while those with a high school education or less are very unlikely to participate in regular exercise.  This correlates with the obesity epidemic in the United States where the less education is inversely correlated to greater levels of obesity.

                Many studies have linked physical health with financial health.  One study found that people with higher B.M.I.’s (body mass indices) tended to also incur high debt and save very little.  Savings are at an all time low in America according to the banks.  Very few Americans save money and a reported 22% have absolutely nothing left after they are paid.  Imagine if financial literacy was taught in schools.  Those same students who simply showed up would likely be saving money also.

                If we go back to the MDRC study, it would seem that people who can simply show up and be disciplined enough to create the regular habits that allow them to graduate from high school would also have the resolve to exercise on a consistent basis.  Showing up in reality is half the battle.  The toughest part of doing anything is just getting started; once we show up our mind expands and once the mind is expanded change ultimately occurs.

                The late Jim Rohn and his friend Zig Ziglar had a decade’s long argument.  The friendly debate centered on education versus motivation.  They pondered the question as to whether success in achieving any goal was due to the individual being educated enough to find solutions or motivated enough to get past the obstacles.  My answer is really ‘both.’  Once a person simply shows up for the education, their mind expands, and the motivation is essential to carry out the application of the education and turn it into tangible results.  Ultimately, it would seem that showing up is the most essential factor to anything.

                Whether the goal is around money or health, showing up does yield a certain level of growth.  Ultimately, when we show up for something, whether it is the gym or attending a seminar on savings, eventually the information seeps in and affects our actions.  The actions may not change overnight however there is merit in the notion that our mere attendance may affect our decision making ability and yield the discipline required to attain a desired outcome.  My question for you is this: what do you need to show up for?

                In a month we will host our second annual Power Body Weekend in Los Angeles.  There, participants will be educated on holistic nutrition, hormones, specific supplements for specific health issues, how to eat for pleasure and not out of pain, how to read a nutrition log and a food label and additionally how to be self motivated to attain the best body ever.  If showing up is the key to success I would highly encourage you to take advantage of this weekend.  We will feed you healthy meals, you will learn different types of exercise from Zumba to resistance training with bands and ultimately expand your mind for change.  I believe that this can truly be your year and that showing up is the first step.

Unlock The Secret to the Healthiest You Ever