Change Your Life or Change Your Goal

What propels an industry towards having a net gross of 20 billion per year? Probably the 108 million different people who are clawing into their savings to find a quick fix to their health and aesthetic dilemma. The weight loss industry isn’t keeping all of that money to themselves though. In fact, they pay celebrity endorsers an average of 33,000 dollars per pound they say their product helped them lose. Of course, if none of this works you can spend 26,000 dollars on bariatric surgery and just shrink your stomach.

It’s a shame when the numbers on a stat sheet are more impressive than the numbers on a scale. But I guess that’s what happens when people make goals that they don’t want to work for. I’m not saying that these people don’t work, don’t misunderstand me. How else could they afford to buy into the weight loss industry? In fact, most people probably work very hard as they sacrifice health for a paycheck; only to spend said paycheck back on their health. It’s a vicious cycle that has turned two thirds of the country into obese “weight watchers.” Watching their weight go up.

But now we have a problem. Diet pills and meal shakes will never compensate for a full blown lifestyle change. Taking a xenadren and then chasing it with a twinky and diet coke won’t cut it. I hope they make a lot of money, because this attempt at watered down dieting will get you nowhere but a wasted paycheck. But then what happens when their just as far away from their goals as when they spent the first dime? Spend more dimes right? That’s what Jessica Simpson might try and sell you, but truth lies elsewhere.

A goal is an object of ambition that a person chases. Goals are meant to be chased; not lollygagged towards with the hope of easy success. When a wolf chases its prey, it doesn’t sloth around hoping to get what it wants. Not a chance. The wolf attacks its goal and brings it to its knees. It will clamp its canines down as hard as possible and subdue the prey. It’s a ferocious and admirable ordeal. Does spending 45.95 on a bottle of pills sound like a chase? It sounds more like a waddle to me.

Sometimes, having a goal means having two choices. You either change your life to reach that goal, or you realize you don’t have what it takes and you change that goal. It’s a harsh statement, especially when you hold true to the thought that America is the land of possibilities, but it’s painfully true. You can’t have you cake and eat it too; no pun intended. I firmly believe that most goals can be reached, but the sacrifice necessary to reach these goals is far outside the threshold that most people are willing to go.

“I want to be skinny, but food tastes so good. Why should I be hungry?”

“I want to more muscular, but I hate chicken and rice.”

“I want to be stronger, but I don’t want to do this workout.”

Reaching a goal cannot always be bought with money. Sure, you have to spend something on it, but not something green. Goals cost effort, heart, and sacrifice. No matter how much money you throw at them, a goal will always require you to change something about yourself.

Rich Froning is an intense crossfit competitor who devotes up to 2 and a half hours to his goal every day, putting in nearly 15 hours a week on workouts alone. During this year’s Crossfit Games Rich slumped far from first place after the first couple days competition, however, by the end of the Crossfit games Rich came home as the champion. He has now won 4 times in a row. If he had done just a little less, or didn’t change his life for his goal, I don’t think Rich would be able to win like he has.

We set goals for glorious things. I want to be a nationally ranked powerlifter. I want Endu to become a household name. I want a steak sandwich. I want my garden to flourish so I can give out fresh organic produce. These things are seen as honorable because they are hard to achieve. Not everyone can do this, because it takes a lot of dedication, effort, and sacrifice; okay maybe not the sandwich, but you know what I mean. The point is that people recognize it as an achievement because it takes something extra.

In summary, you can either make a less monetary investment in your goals, or you can change your goals. Unless your goal is to spend lots of money. Then I guess you probably need to spend money to reach that goal.