"But Larry...!"

What is it that makes some people successful while others keep chasing it wondering why achieving the things they want in life are always beyond their reach?

It's not talent.

It's not genius.

Give up?

It's diligence.

People that are successful focus on tasks and do them with "diligence".

Here's the Wikipedia definition.

"Diligence is a zealous and careful nature in one's actions and work. Decisive work ethic. Budgeting one's time; monitoring one's own activities to guard against laziness. Putting forth full concentration in one's work."

If you have obstacles, you might never even get in the game. Here's a common challenge I have heard consistently over the years and it's this:

"But Larry, I don't have the time."

There are some people that literally don't have the time, but most people are simply wasting time. In essence, they value other things. Let me ask you a simple question. Do you ever watch TV at night? Millions do, and why not, there are some very good shows on television. But it could be costing you big time. (And if it's not TV, it could be the internet, video games, etc.)

But isn't watching TV really a reward for all the hard work you do all day? You really do deserve to kick back, grab the remote (if it's available) and lose yourself in a good movie, catch up on your soaps, a sporting event, a cooking show, or learn "What Not To Wear"!

Look, I'm not against TV. But, I am against TV if you watch it for two hours a night and you tell me you have no free time. Even one hour a night is a is costing you, as you could be exercising.

"But Larry, I'm also too tired at night to workout".

I feel for you, I really do. I know it's hard being you. Many of you have challenging careers, take care of kids, take care of parents, own a business, run a home, coach a team, and the list goes on and on. I understand completely, but I'll tell you this.

SO WHAT? That's right, so what?

Everybody has challenges that make them tired at the end of the day. But here's something you may not realize. Everybody has everything in their lives that they value most from the clothes they wear to the cars they drive. If it's a "high value" item, good, or service, you've got it. By "high value" I don't mean high-priced. I mean on a scale of one to ten, the things you value are closer to ten. So if working out at night is not for you, then make sure you go to bed earlier so you can get up earlier, AND WORKOUT!

Yes, this change will be hard and you won't like it, but do it anyway because the benefits outweigh the discomfort. In time, you'll be glad you toughed it out as you'll have more energy and you'll lose weight. And once you make getting up early and exercising a habit, you'll be hard pressed to let it go.

People that are fit may not be wealthy and yet they may make sacrifices to belong to a gym, hire a personal trainer, or come to boot camp.

Why is that?

Because they value their health and they care about the way they look. Well, the way they look naked anyway. (However, some of us do need to watch "What Not To Wear") Quite simply, exercise and nutrition is a higher value priority in some peoples lives.

Now I realize I might be ruffling a few feathers here, but some of you need to know this. If you are struggling with your weight, month after month, year after year, the problem is most likely in the choices you make which is driven by the way you think about the choices you make. A good place to begin is to change the way you think about exercise and nutrition.

"But Larry, I don't like to exercise."

I understand. Exercise is hard work and since you were born a princess, you really should be excused from performing hard work. After all, isn't that what skilled labor is for? Perhap you could hire someone to lift your weights, perform your cardio, and eat correctly for you! (did you catch the sarcasm?)

Before I go on let's make sure you do not have any health related issues. Sometimes people struggle for years and never realize they have an underactive thyroid for example. You might want to consider seeing a medical doctor.

With that disclaimer out of the way, let's assume you are healthy, and you are still struggling for much too long. Nutrition is so often the missing link. Every time you eat something ask yourself this question. Am I bored, upset, just hungry, or am I eating to boost my metabolism and improve my health? Eating is an opportunity to do something healthy, or not. If you are eating extra food for "extra" reasons, you are most likely eating too many calories.

A little planning can go a long way.

When you go to bed at night, do you think about the next day and factor in your exercise routine? Do you have a contingency plan? How do you feel about yourself if you miss a workout? How do you feel about planning your meals? Does it all seem too overwhelming? How often do you find yourself skipping breakfast? How often do you find yourself picking up dinner at Quiznos or Panera Bread? Ouch, I bet I hit a nerve there.

Well, once again you are right on the money. This actually is very challenging.

The fact of the matter, the crux of the biscuit, the very bottom line is this... People that are successful at anything are successful because they are willing to do what other people won't do. They want the end result bad enough that they are willing to change their lives (drum roll please) AND STILL BE UNCOMFORTABLE. (see make sacrifices)

They will skip watching TV (or watch a lot less)
They plan their meals, meetings, work, play, etc.
They exercise daily and factor it in to the day.
They want something bad enough and make sacrifices and stop making excuses.
They write down what they want to achieve.
They educate themselves about whatever it is they want to achieve.
AND THEY LOVE BOOT CAMP! - Sorry, I couldn't resist :-)

No, I can't sugar coat this for you. This is simple, but it's not easy. Most people that travel down the road of health and fitness wander aimlessly. I am just a guide with a map. "Come follow me, I'll show you the way."

I absolutely love it when someone comes along and just gets it. They know that they want to be lean and fit, so they hire me as their coach. They follow the plan they lose fat in record time. Sure it makes me look good as a fitness professional, but truth be told, they deserve all the credit and they are the one's who look great!

Successful people:

Know what they want.
Take action.
Follow through with diligence.
Don't quit.

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Let's start at the beginning. In order to improve your body composition, you need to exercise and eat right. Unfortunately that's just too much of an over simplification. Exercise and eating right means something different to everybody. So I'll do my best to make this easy for you.

I've got two options for boot camp that are both also great deals. You get more value than you pay for. But if you actually follow my plan and incorporate some of these success formula traits at the same time, the results could be worth 1000 times your financial investment.

What you "Value Most" will always determine your decision.

I came to value health and helping people so much that I changed my life and my career to do what makes me happy. Try to imagine what motivated me. I'll tell you this, it wasn't inspiration, it was desperation, massive doses of it too. There were literally dozens of reasons why I needed to change my life. It didn't happen over night. It's been a seven year journey since I had the first thought when I connected with my passion for fitness.

Decide what you want to change in your life and go for it.

Don't worry about getting it perfect, just get it going!