What is stopping you from training on the days you don’t feel like it?

You really want to train. You know how you will feel after. You know what to do. You have all the equipment at home or in the gym. You have the time - it’s the same time you have blocked off as yesterday and the day before. Something is stopping you or a series of things.

It may be the excuses - I’m too tired, I trained enough this past week, my muscles need rest, it’s too noisy for the neighbours (if you work out late at home).

It could be the story you tell yourself. I’m too old to train everyday, I need to prevent injury, logical things that are easy to believe. But there are people much older, more susceptible to injury, still getting after it on a daily basis because they tell themselves a different story or they replace each excuse with a reason why they absolutely should do something rather than not do it.

Listen, you need to change the program in your head. You need to make the choice to train rather than make the choice not to. How?

What if you were to remember all the times you were disrespected, bullied, taken advantage of, looked down upon, when people pointed fingers at you, people laughed behind your back, people mistook your kindness for weakness. Remember when you were ill and you could not train, remember people who thought they were better than you. Remember the person who would love to be in your position and do it for them.

What if you were to go really deep and think about how each of these things made you feel. How would it feel to get your revenge? You have the chance to redeem yourself from everything.

What if you became the best version of yourself. What if you proved everyone wrong. What if you got your revenge by being way more successful than them and reaching your potential? What if you used every single negative in your life as a chip on your shoulder to be the best version of yourself? What if you had a bit of anger inside you that forced you to be the best you could possibly be?

You may be distracted. There are too many things going on in your mind. You have bills to pay. You need to put the food on the table. You need to take the kids to school. Look at the crime or problems in the world. I could easily be doing x, y and z. I have this (insert) goal to achieve. I have this book to read or this course to study. I have not chilled today. I need time to relax. Or worse, negative habits that derail you.

You cannot get distracted. You have a mission to accomplish.

You need to empty your mind. After a solid training session, everything will become easier to deal with. Take away everything from your mind. You do not need all that mental weight. You have to forget everything. Forget the time too. Forget your other tasks. Forget all distractions. Turn your phone on silent. Put on your headphones and get to work. You need to romanticise the work. You are the main character in the movie. This is the grinding part. This is the hustle. This is the work.

What if you think you are past it or you missed the boat. You have not and I don’t care how old you are. You still have time to redeem yourself. You can still be that version of you that you dreamed about. Nothing is lost. Everything is still to play for. You can still reach your potential. You can still be the best.

What if Muhammad Ali was lazy and did not train like he trained. Would he have shook the world like he did?

You have to start now.