Who are you arguing with?

I was recently talking to someone who wants to change their body, and actually didn't need to make too many dietary shifts to get there. Surprisingly, they put up the strongest fight of anyone I've spoken to recently. They need to cut their 3 bowls of cereal per week and use stevia instead of sugar in their daily coffee. That's about it. I got back, "oh, but this is so hard!". Seriously? I don't think I've seen an easier starting place yet.

So why the push back? The answer is actually really simple - they aren't ready. If they were, they would be making the few changes needed and wouldn't view a slightly different breakfast plan as something to latch onto so firmly. If they were ready, they would be willing to act for the health, fitness and good feelings they said they wanted. Tim Ferriss talks about these little pains as "ab tax" - the price you pay to get those abs you want (he actually says it in reference to the extra buck you might pay to substitute in more beans or veggies or salad at a restaurant in place of the starch, but raises it again in reference to skipping bad stuff you crave in the moment to postpone it until cheat day). The cost is really low in reality.

So, if you aren't ready, be honest with yourself. If you find yourself pushing back on your supporters or coaches, or if you are spending mental, physical or emotional energy creating excuses and pushing back, take that as a sign of your need to get mentally committed more than you are today.

See, if you are pushing against others, you aren't doing this for you. Who else could you be doing it for? If for another person or an event (that school reunion, a wedding, etc) then how do you stay committed when the event passes, the person pisses you off or doesn't appreciate your change, etc? The only constant and ultimate beneficiary is you. If you aren't ready to do it for yourself, don't start.

Don't start something you can't. Notice I didn't say, "can't finish," but instead that you can't start. If your mind isn't committed and you aren't there for yourself, then you never began in the first place.

Be honest with yourself, be committed to yourself, and the rest will follow naturally and easily.