Finishers Wanted!

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Beginners are many, but enders are few.
Honor, power, place and praise
Will always come to the one who stays.

Stick to your task ’til it sticks to you;
Bend at it, sweat at it, smile at it, too;
For out of the bend and the sweat and the smile
Will come life’s victories after a while.
—Author Unknown

I hope this Labor Day e-mail finds you healthy and happy. I’m just chillin’ with the “fam in Alabam”! I’ll make this short and sweet, so you can get back to your holiday festivities. This morning I just want to offer some encouragement to those of you who, even though you’ve had the best intentions, have stopped exercising regularly and/or eating a healthy diet. At the end of each day, you promise yourself tomorrow you’re going to start again. You’re going to ditch the junk food, lace up your sneakers and make it happen. You fully intend to do better, and then tomorrow comes, life happens, and before you know it, it’s 10:00 P.M., and your “to do” list still has a slew of unfinished tasks. The items “work out” and “shop for healthy food” are mocking you from the page, and you begin to feel discouraged.

Chin up! Life’s not a sprint; it’s a marathon. Sometimes there’s a point during a marathon that the runner hits “the wall.” They feel physically depleted, and their emotions head south in a hurry. This happens because their fuel has become depleted, and it not only affects them physically, it affects them mentally as well. If you’ve hit the wall in the marathon of life, it’s time to hit the refueling station.

We all know we need fuel to keep going. Yet, all too often, we neglect to refuel our bodies, our minds, and our spirits. We forget that exercise refuels us body, mind, and spirit. We think we’re too tired to exercise, but we never finish a workout and say, “That was a waste of time. I wish I had skipped my workout today.” No, we’re always glad we did it. The hardest part is starting.

You are all amazing and accomplished people doing amazing things. You’re not afraid to tackle hard tasks. You may have strayed from the path for a bit, but it’s never too late to get back on track. That’s the great thing about life. As long as you’re on this side of the dirt, you get a do over! No matter how small the step must be, will you take it today? If you’ve abandoned your regular workouts, will you do 10 minutes of something today? If your diet has gone off the rails, will you begin today and eat one fruit and one vegetable and one less processed food? Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. As the saying goes “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” I encourage you to take that step today. Happy Labor Day!