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Health & Fitness

Allan Keller: The Perfect Time to Start Changing Your Life

Having trouble getting started with healthy changes in your life? Find out when is the perfect time to begin.

It’s hard to believe but the holiday season is upon us.  Each and every year fall brings an extra helping of dinners, celebrations, vacations, and of course tempting treats.  With all of this added into our already busy life it’s pretty common to just focus on making it through the holiday season, putting off any attempt to get fit until the New Year.  The thinking typically goes something like “In January things will settle down and I can focus on my health then.  Now is just an impossible time to start making a lifestyle change.”

Well then, when IS a good time?  The more I think about this, the more I realize making the choice to live a healthier lifestyle is a lot like making the decision to get married, buy a house, or even have a baby.  It’s super important and often comes with significant change.  So it’s not unnatural to think about all of the different things that are going on in your life and find reasons why it’s not a good time to jump in and go for it.  The reality, however, is there's never going to be a perfect time. 

My mom had a quote up on the wall when I was growing up that said “If I wait to be happy, I’ll be waiting forever.  If I’m happy now, I’ll be happy forever.”  I love that saying and I think it applies to all kinds of things.  There will always be obstacles with any type of change in your life.  The key is to make the choice to get started.

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So, what time in your life are you waiting for?  What’s holding you back right now?  Think about it then ask yourself “What can I commit to changing today?”  It doesn’t have to be something huge.  You don’t have to start working out eight hours a day and be that person who eats canned tuna and broccoli for every meal.  That’s too much (and kind of gross if you ask me).  Just pick one thing, something realistic that you know you can commit to, and start doing it – now. 

Whatever it is that you decide to change, work on it for two to three weeks until it becomes a habit.  After it becomes second nature, that’s when you start working on the next thing.  It may not seem like it but this is the recipe for huge success in the long term.  You have the ability to do whatever you want.  You can have the life you want and the body you’ve dreamed of, but only if you make the choice to begin.  Remember, waiting for the perfect time will leave you waiting forever.  Get started now and make today your day.  There really is no better time.

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Allan Keller is a Westchase area fitness coach and owner of Direct Effect Fitness.  Allan can be reached at 813-333-9922 or allan@DirectEffectFitness.com. Have a question about fitness or nutrition?  Post a comment or send an email and you may see your topic featured in his next blog.

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