Improve your Health and Fitness through Attitude, Effort and Discipline

Written by Eric Brooks

Throughout the years, I have had the pleasure of being surrounded by hard working, intrinsically motivated individuals at Austin Simply Fit who helped teach me the importance of pursuing goals, dreams and endeavors with a no-excuse attitude. I learned through trial and tribulation that I alone am in control of my decisions and therefore the consequences of specific choices. These lessons have proved crucial and given me the conviction I needed when facing adversity and the ability to remain humble through all successes. I firmly believe that I wouldn’t be the person I am today without the structure, routine, attitude, effort and discipline I live by.

The Importance of Structure and Routine

Structure and routine are both essential in my day-to-day life, and they serve as the foundation for the incremental progress I pursue on a daily basis. Having a strong structure keeps me humble when life is good, and grounded in the face of adversity, struggle and pain. I find that remaining calm, cool and collected in times of trial and tribulation can be heavily attributed to the structure in which I live my life. 

Adaptability and problem solving are two key byproducts that I have gained throughout my life thanks to embracing the day-to-day grind. Maximizing the efficiency and productivity of my daily tasks has allowed me to reduce exposure to distractions and procrastination. Most importantly, structure has taught me the importance of having simple, consistent and progressive routines that help me stay on the forward path. Routines, more than anything, reduce my stress, greatly improve my mental health, and provide me the control I need over certain aspects of my life. Following daily routines is an investment in myself and ensures that I am always prioritizing the most important aspects of my life (health, fitness and longevity.)

Win the Day – ATTITUDE

The first and most important choice I make every day is to be appreciative of the opportunity I’ve been given to work hard and progress toward my goals, dreams and ambitions. No two days are ever the same, and some mornings are far more difficult than others, but I favor making the choice that will improve my life. On tough days I lean on structure and routine to help guide me through overwhelming negativity and feelings of mediocrity. Many of life’s experiences have taught me the importance of waking up every day with a clean slate and perspective on how I can become a better version of myself. I take great pride in rolling with the punches, keeping my chin up and steadily moving forward toward my ultimate destination with a smile on my face.

1% Better Every Day – EFFORT

Effort takes no skill, requires no talent, and costs nothing other than the promise I’ve made to myself to try and get 1% better every day. Rather than trying to make significant change or progress in a short amount of time, I focus on executing actions that I can improve on in my daily life. I take actions that are consistently beneficial to my overall wellbeing and will make drastic positive changes over time. This is the approach I take for every prioritized area of my life, as well as many of the others I find less important. 

As someone who constantly strives to make daily improvements, I take it upon myself to learn from past mistakes and use those as tools and resources for growth and maturation. I focus on executing actions to the best of my abilities knowing that I’m setting myself up for a better tomorrow. I stand by my actions, even when I don’t want to, because I know the little things ultimately add up in the bigger picture.

Controlling the Controllables – DISCIPLINE

I have a finite amount of effort and attention that I can give, so I make sure that I focus on areas of my life that I have full control over. These aspects of my life make me feel like I have a direct impact on my destiny and that it isn’t dictated by other people or forces around me. I categorize the controllable aspects of life and make sure that I steer clear of what I cannot control. The stress and anxiety I used to feel from worrying about things out of my control put a heavy burden on my life and made it difficult to focus on what really matters. 

I look for the positive in most situations, because it makes maintaining a positive attitude easier and I have less unproductive desires. I put immense amounts of effort into making sure that I do things to the best of my abilities, because I refuse to accept anything less.

The Bigger Picture

I make the most of every day because I know that tomorrow is never promised and life can change in the blink of an eye. I want to look back on my life knowing that I carried a positive attitude, gave immense amounts of effort, and controlled the aspects of my life that are important to me.

 

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