This is Lester. I love him (not in the biblical sense!) and HATE him all in the same breath.

As you probably know from seeing any image of me, I am a Nutritional Over Achiever.

One of my mantras has always been “Happy Healthy Hundred.” I want to live to be a hundred years old but be happy and healthy when I get there. Being a nutritional overachiever will limit the possibility of that happening and while mantras are great, a mantra alone won’t get you there. While I am waiting for the Universe to provide, others are getting off their backside and making things happen.

So I finally bit the bullet and joined the Monash Aquatic and Recreation Centre (it’s a fantastic facility so if you live in the area, check it out)

I love the idea of carrying less body fat. I love the idea of living a medication free life. I love the idea of bouncing around on stage inspiring people without puffing. I love the idea of taking my dog for a run (have you seen how fast toy poodles are?). I HATE the idea of dieting. I HATE the idea of exercising. I HATE the idea of hurting after a workout.

So here is what I am doing, I am focusing on what I love and not what I hate. I am engaging that quite rare sense of Delayed Gratification. I get it will take me a while to build my fitness levels back up and drop some of the body fat so I am focussing on the benefits of what that will give me rather than the short term pain I have to endure.

To get me there, Lester took me to task.

I could only hobble, not walk for three days! I was cursing him and he only laughed at me when I told him what I thought of him. So even though I make a lot of noise about it, I am still focussed on the long term payoff and not the short term pain.

I am embracing the concept of “It doesn’t hurt once the pain goes.”

While this applies to me with my current level of fitness and the rather cruel Lester, does this situation exist for you at all?

Maybe not with fitness but with a skill, an education level, your personal investments, your relationships or another are of your life? Where do you need to engage an expert who you can help you achieve the goals you want even though there may be some short term pain to get there?

Basically who do you need to Love and Hate? Go find them and make it happen.