"So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin." James 4:17

I work with a lot of people. So many of them know the right things to do, but they rarely do it.  I hear it all the time - just like the scripture says.

I call it the "Should Syndrome."

Do you know the #1 way to smash a plateau?

The answer is really simple....GET OUT OF YOUR OWN WAY.

Having sat through hundreds of consultations with people who have hit plateaus, it has become very clear...

Most of the time the problem is not the plateau - it's you.

"The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life."  John 10:10

Life can steal your joy.

Age, injuries, stress, and mental health issues are all thieves of joy.

Your big "WHY" is important in EVERYTHING you do.

If it's not there, your motivation will only carry you so far.  Eventually you will quit or backslide which leads to a mediocre life at best not the rich and satisfying life you deserve.

Here's a story of how knowing your "WHY" is essential if you want to see success.

In Numbers 25-31 we see fear preventing God's chosen people from entering the promised land.

Here's the story..
 

There are at least two significant moments where encouragement changed the course of my entire life.

"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes."  James 4:14

Last week a former college football teammate of mine suddenly passed away.  

It shook me pretty good since we are the same age. I will always remember him as one of the "studs" on our defense.

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" Mark 8:36.

A few years ago an old school friend of mine retired from a successful military career.

He told me he wanted to something with "real meaning and purpose."  He had been disciplined with his finances plus had his military pension so he told me he did not some "big fancy corporate job."

I remember how excited he was to start the second chapter of his life pursuing significance instead of success.

Exercising is one of the best things you can do for your health, and you most definitely deserve a pat on the back for any amount of physical activity you’re doing. However, if you are performing your exercises wrong, or have no proper structure, or forget to nourish your body appropriately, you could end up hurting and not helping your body. As a leading fitness gym in Lakeville, Minnesota, Puravida Fitness has put together a list of the most common mistakes people make that could lead to fitness failure.

Galatians 6:5 says "For each will have to bear his own load."

Simply put, this translates to personal responsibility.  We are ALL responsible for ourselves, our actions, our emotions.   Unfortunately, many of us continue to struggle with this.

"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me." Philippians 4:13

This is my favorite passage because I believe we can achieve great things but we sell ourselves short because we don't approach them the right way.

I have never driven a snow plow.  But it seems obvious you can't do a good job plowing forward if you are looking out your rearview mirror.  The lines would be all messed up and you would miss a lot of snow.

The same could be said if you are always living in the past and never focused on the present or future.

The other day I had an intense conversation with a close family member.  Constant complaints and feeling sorry for self are on the forefront of their mind. It's always someone else's fault, excuse after excuse followed by blame after blame.   They were acting as if they were "powerless" and playing the victim card.  It was time for some tough love.

"Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them." Proverbs 26:12

This passage reminds me of one of my DIY projects that became an OMG project - all because of my foolishness.

Years ago I had a plumbing issue at one of my rental properties.  

Since I had grown up working in a hardware store and have some basic plumbing knowledge, I thought "Why hire a plumber when I can fix this myself?"

Big mistake!

"Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."  Philippians 4:8

What have you been thinking on lately?

Conspiracy theories?

Doomsday scenarios?

The sky falling?

Are these things making you excellent or stealing your joy?

The new year is a special time of year.  But THIS new year it really does take on a new meaning after the year we had in 2020.

It’s the perfect time to take advantage of all that "fresh start" energy and channel it into making your goals a reality.


 

"And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own?"  Matthew 7:3

If you spend any time on social media you see no shortage of opinions.

Everyone thinks they have the "truer truth."

Do you finish what you start?

Back in October I set a strength goal to squat 335 for 4 reps, bench 250 for 4 reps and deadlift 405 for 4 reps.

This past Saturday I had one strength goal to knock out in order to complete my mission. 

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:7   

This passage fuels me whenever I feel like quitting.

Being a type A fitness guy I set some aggressive fitness goals to end 2020 strong.  I was on track to finish strong. 

Do your words match your actions?  People often say they want to get healthy but they behave in literally every opposite way possible. 

 

"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap."  Galatians 6:7

It has been widely reported that being obese or living an unhealthy lifestyle puts a person at a significantly higher risk for contracting COVID-19.

At this writing, over 1/3 of our population in the United States is considered obese.  That to me is unacceptable. And more frustrating to me is that we have brought this on ourselves.