Show of hands for those whom are familiar with or played Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out? Yes, I am aware this shows my age. If you didn’t raise your hand you should still be able to follow along and get the point of this blog. The blog title “007-373-5963” is forever etched in my brain from childhood. This code will allow you to skip right to the end and fight Tyson.
Unlike in the video game, real life has no cheat code or shortcut to reach the end game or final boss. And like how being inexperienced and not having earned the right to play at a higher level will assuredly lead to a quick dose of reality when Tyson puts you down for the count in a mere matter of seconds, seeking and applying these shortcuts in health and wellness will do the same for your results (success).
The truth is the long path is the easiest path towards sustainable and long-term change.
This must also be considered in relation to those whom you look up to or for having a goal physique based on what someone else has achieved. Those individuals likely have years of consistent training and nutrition and didn’t arrive at their current level by chance or via some fad diet. As Jordan Syatt would say, “you can’t compare your Chapter 2 against someone else’s Chapter 12.” The point here is to not be discouraged in your efforts and to understand that it takes time to instill change. Furthermore, to understand that you may never attain what another person has because we are all unique people. It is more than just being in a different chapter, as humans we are each writing and constrained by the narrative of our own book. We have unique genetics, life situations, resources (time/money)…. and the list goes on.
This is not to say that you can’t learn from someone who has had success or “been there and done that.” You can start by performing a self-audit of your habits against theirs such as follows:
- What habits of yours match theirs?
- Are you training with the same intensity they do or following a periodized progression?
- Are you eating as well as they do or close in the quality of food choices they do consistently?
It has literally taken me years of learning, failing, and adapting my approach to achieve my current strength level and physique. Do not be discouraged or feel like you aren’t doing enough by focusing on the little habits and improving your approach over time. Start small, perfect the process, then move on to more challenging steps in your journey. Just like in the game Punch Out, the difficulty of opponents increases as you gain experience and work your way towards being better. Resist the urge to feel that you need to skip to the end. Rushing the process often ends with your body not having optimal hormones to reach or maintain your goal. You end up fighting against your body instead of working with it (talk about a punch in the face).
The most beneficial piece of the journey is through the experience. Getting knocked down is an inevitable part of this. Get back up, regroup and remain persistent.
