With 2012 nearly upon us, its time for everyone to set their New Year resolutions. While a majority are struggling with weight and fitness goals, resolutions typically involve one or the other, if not both at this time of the year. Unfortunately, this is when most search for that “silver bullet” that is “guaranteed” to work for everyone with little to no effort. Don’t fall for it by letting someone well versed in marketing separate you from your hard earned money on the premise of providing you with the next “breakthrough” they’ve just discovered.
You see, we are all unique individuals and respond to differently to various methods. We are as unique as snowflakes with no two being identical. “All men are created equal” is a line Thomas Jefferson used in the Declaration of Independence, that is often misused by being taken out of context. What Jefferson was referring to is that all people deserve the same rights to pursue their individual freedom and liberties; equal in the sense that all should be able to pursue their lives the way they choose. Jefferson was in no way referring to people having the same aptitudes in all things. It’s been used countless times by others to spin it for their purposes. No two people have equal abilities in anything. For example, one may be more geared more toward mathematics where numbers come easy to them, while the same person may lag behind others in literary skills. Some struggle to lose fat while others down Krispy Kreme donuts by the fistful and fare none the worse for their transgressions.
If you accept this argument as a truth, then why do so many fall for marketing efforts where “gurus” claim to have developed an effortless program that works for all? If you buy into their hype, one might come the the conclusion that they have just developed The Holy Grail of fitness that will shed pounds and turn you into a six-pack sporting super model in less than 90 days. Guaranteed! Don’t believe them? Just look at the countless testimonials.
Don’t fall for the hype! What they’ve developed is a great marketing ploy to prey on desperate individuals willing to do anything except the hard work required to get the results they desire. Real results require real effort. Plain and simple. As surely as the sun rises in the east and sets in the west, all fitness progress requires effort and plenty of it. True others are genetically more gifted and respond quicker than on average, but they too are putting in work.
So to sum it up, there is no single method that will work for all people other than the scientific method. To state simply, you must follow some logical order of forming a hypothesis, testing the validity of that hypothesis, record and analyze the results then make modifications based on said results. Rinse and repeat.
If you are looking for an easier way, don’t be fooled by some fast talking “guru” hawking their latest “effortless” plan. The law of sowing and reaping remains supreme and no one as of this writing has found a way to circumvent this. There is no substitute for hard work. You will always only get out of any endeavor a value equal to what went into it. Hard-work and determination coupled with analysis of progress from your meticulous record keeping is what will bring you the results your after.
So start 2012 off by not looking for the silver bullet. Embrace the realization that your desired result will only come to fruition if you put in an amount of effort equal to the size of your goal. Big changes require big effort, but walking a mile always begins with the first step. Take that step today!
