It's A Matter Of Knowing Why

Over the past few days I have been asked often, through my different social media sites, DailyMile, Facebook and Twitter how I was able to complete (although as of this writing I still have 8 days to go) the P90X program.  (I'm proud to have friends that have faith that I will finish this!)  I have been asked to write a review of the results achieved.  This will come as soon as the program is completed.

What I wish to address today is the matter of "How".

On an earlier post, "Motivation Comes From the Most Unlikely Sources" I outlined the intentions I had for tackling this program.  In a nut shell, I wanted to take the off season to work on my strength and core conditioning, it was/is as simple as that.

However, the question has been asked often, more than I could have ever imagined:  "How have you been able to stick to this?"  followed by "I know someone that started and never finished", or "I bought the program and its collecting dust on the shelf."

The commitment to tackle an undertaking of such magnitude is no different than any other goal you set for yourself.  On my other blog I recently discussed How To Keep Your New Year's Resolutions.  This is no different.

I can add to the advise provided on that post one more insight.  "You must know why you want to do this."  Wanting to do it is just not enough.

My goal for this year is the Ironman Louisville.  I have known that in order to have a better shot at success I must  improve my strength and core conditioning.  That was step one.

Step two, was researching several options.  Analyzing pros and cons and coming up with a plan that would get me there.  This is where P90X came in.

Getting up at 4:30 in the morning was an adjustment I had to make.  Changing my eating habits was another.  Accepting that it was going to be "hard" was just another.  It took about three weeks for me to get into the mindset that I "was" going to do this, regardless of the above mentioned "changes".

Every time I press a weight, do a push up, a pull up, a chin up, a lunge, a squat, a jump, a tuck, a hop, a curl, I know that this could be the repetition that takes me to the finish line in a more efficient manner.  So I go on.  NO matter the pain.

It's not easy and it will hurt.  It will require work, dedication, commitment and mental strength.  But hey, it's only 90 days, right?