It will never be…

Published on 11/07/2011 - 42 comments!

It will never be:

  • easy
  • perfect
  • the right time

Nobody is going to:

  • tell you exactly what to do
  • drag you out of bed in the morning
  • yell at you to eat healthy
  • lift weights for you
  • run a race for you

There will always be:

  • holidays
  • sick days
  • sleepless nights
  • early mornings
  • vacations
  • bad weather
  • long days at the office

It will always be easier to:

  • say no
  • hit SNOOZE
  • do nothing
  • settle
  • blame others
  • make excuses
  • give up
  • say “I tried my best” when you really didn’t

Life is freaking tough - health, wealth, and happiness certainly don’t come easy.

For those reasons, you don’t need:

  • The best equipment
  • The best business plan
  • The PERFECT workout program (it doesn’t exist)
  • A super specific meal plan

And it’s okay to:

  • not have all of the answers yet – NOBODY does
  • not have your life completely figured out yet – NOBODY does
  • get started and figure things out as you go

As Teddy Roosevelt once said, “Do the best you can, with what you have, where you are.”

Take action.  Make changes.

You will make mistakes.   You will fail.  Embrace it.

You know what’s NOT okay?

  • to expect instant success and gratification
  • to give up immediately when life doesn’t go your way
  • to keep doing the same thing while expecting different results
  • to coast through life while complaining about it
  • to constantly wonder “what if” without ever finding out

Tomorrow never comes. 

Eventually never happens.

Today.

Now.

Shut up and start.

-Steve

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  • http://www.johnphung.com John Phung

    Simply awesome.

  • http://www.facebook.com/nbrowning Nicholas Browning

    Damn it Steve!!!

    You are killing all my perfectly good excuses to sit on my ass when not at work and coast by when I am.

    Oh well, tomorrow morning I’m catching a 6:00 am flight back to Paris [I'm the guy who you almost met when you were there], and after a two week vacation in Madrid I’m feeling energized ready to rock my workplace, and finally really DO IT instead of THINK IT when it comes my body, my day to day, and meeting girls.

    As I tell my sister often enough: “Shit, or get off the pot.”

    I guess I need to do the same.

  • Ehannah

    im going to the gym today. 

  • Maggerson

    All I can say to this is “Thank you”

  • Robb

    Not only awesome (it was) but I got the email Just as I was giving up on my push-up routine (it was hard!)  the email buzzed in during a rest period and gave me the attitude to finish!  Thank you!

  • Ishbel

    This had better come out in a poster version!!!

  • Wrecked

    Yoda beat you to it… “Do or do not, there is no try”

  • Amber Bosch

    I agree with Ishbel. I was just getting ready to comment on how I am actually gonna copy/paste the text, modify the background a bit maybe, make it look noticeable, and HANG IT IN MY ROOM by my door so I am reminded every day before leaving home.

  • http://www.stevekamb.com Steve Kamb

    who?

  • http://twitter.com/FitnessReloaded Maria

    “You don’t have to be great to start. But you have to start to be great” – Joe Sabah

  • http://twitter.com/FitnessReloaded Maria

    “You don’t have to be great to start. But you have to start to be great” – Joe Sabah

  • Lucy

    Damn straight, man.

  • Matt

    And all my excuses go *phbbt*. Guess I’ll get started on my life now. No longer a skinny little twerp! I’ll be a skinny little twerp who can run faster than the big people who like to wrestle with/kill me.

    Thanks Steve! :D

  • http://www.bzemic.com/impossibleInstinct/ steve ward

    Wow Steve, im starting to like how you write these post they are simple and too the point BUT they are fun as well.

    keep up the good work

  • Anonymous

    You are awesome. Thank you!

  • Thomasclover

    We have a similar saying down here; “Fish, or cut bait”.

  • Alivanisevic

    Wow wasn’t that a slap in the face? thank you! ps. are you related to yoda in any way?

  • Alivanisevic

    Wow wasn’t that a slap in the face? thank you! ps. are you related to yoda in any way?

  • http://www.facebook.com/manveru Michael Day

    Well said, Steve. Well said.

  • Afr

    A buddy of mine says that a lot. . .I never understand it

  • Aebrunner33

    I can’t tell you how inspirational I am finding this site.  The postings dead on and help me to keep the lazy-a** excuses from sneaking in.  Thanks, again!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andre-Skiles/1723434047 Andre Skiles

    This post is incredible. I can’t even tell you how much NF has helped me. Well, I did lose 60 lbs. You rock Steve. Thank you!

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Andre-Skiles/1723434047 Andre Skiles

    This post is incredible. I can’t even tell you how much NF has helped me. Well, I did lose 60 lbs. You rock Steve. Thank you!

  • Suhail

    cool. awesome.

  • Eduard

    Totally. But some new posts like the ones in the “Free Resources” page would also be great.

  • Eduard

    Totally. But some new posts like the ones in the “Free Resources” page would also be great.

  • http://www.fourletterlife.com Alyssa

    Great post! It’s easy to get discouraged whenever I don’t follow my workout schedule or stray from my food plan, but the best part is that tomorrow is another day full of possibilities. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/alexandre.auriol Alexandre Auriol

    Exact my friend…Sacrebleu!

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  • Laura

    <3

  • Laura

    <3

  • Laura

    <3

  • Anonymous

    Written like a true nerd!

    …that is to say, with logical groupings to result in a minimum of redundant statements.

    I hope you keep this document updated as you discover and test edge cases.  :)

  • Anonymous

    Written like a true nerd!

    …that is to say, with logical groupings to result in a minimum of redundant statements.

    I hope you keep this document updated as you discover and test edge cases.  :)

  • Superlizard001

    THANK YOU!

  • http://toughcookienyc.com/ Ali

    This post really hit home! I’m dealing with an injury that’s interrupted my favorite training activity/stress release (martial arts), and it’s really helpful to have a reminder to take things one step at a time.

  • http://www.theeutychusproject.com Michael

    This is incredible. I’ve just made the decision to start turning around my life, and seriously recover from my back injuries. The first post on the blog I started for this is “Always start yesterday”, because everyone starts tomorrow.

    Thanks for the affirmation.

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  • http://www.facebook.com/vannarith71 Vannarith Hoeurn

    dfdsfd

  • Fred

    I enjoyed that until “shut up and start”.  What is it with American’s and shutting up to start something?   Can’t we discuss and start?  Can’t we petition and start?  Yell?  Koan?  Mumble?  

    It worthless platitude.  The rest of the article is fun.  But really, it’s rather polarized.  Its all or nothing it seems in America.  

  • http://www.lovinglifewithdiabetes.com Claire

    I really loved the ‘Get started & figure things out as you go’.  Things don’t have to be perfect – we just have to start.

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  • Sholtz79

    Very true!  Thanks… Will reference this one in the future on those “lazy” days!

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  • http://losing-civ.blogspot.com/ Sarai

    Holy crap this is the most amazing thing I’ve ever read. I’ll have you know I’m going to turn this into a poster for myself and memorize it line by line until I have it down perfect. I can chant it as a workout mantra! :D So amazing.

  • Pingback: A Beginner's Guide to Getting in Shape | Bunngle Blogs

  • Sp1nG

    I love, love, LOVE this and have it printed and tacked on the wall so I can read it every morning!