Part of my default setting during this covid season has been to push my health and fitness goal. We all have more time in our hands than normal. If there is anything that fitness teaches you is to ‘just start’. At this point I don’t need an alarm, a written workout schedule or a fitness partner. The routine is already established and embedded. But I did not start here. The first time I stepped on the road, I just wanted to take a walk to clear my mind.

On day three a running stranger slowed down and challenged me to try jogging or running albeit on a slow pace. I managed to run for about 1km and went back to walking. The next time a second running stranger slowed down and helped me maintain a comfortable pace. I managed 3Kms non stop. Having realized I could run I pushed it to 6Kms on my own. I am now on my 10Kms goal. If I had not stepped on the road that progress would have never happened.

Later I thought of trying indoor basic work out. In the process, I injured my knee. I recorded my work out video and shared with a friend who is experienced in fitness. He guided me on the proper way of working out. He also went ahead and shared work out challenges that I could follow. The guidance and support has been instrumental during this season.

Many at times we have things and goals in our head that we want to achieve. We reach out to people who we think can be mentors or coaches with just ideas. From my experience ideas don’t sell, you need to have something to show for it. In short just start. You cannot perfect an idea in your head or accomplish a task through imagination, you need to put the idea in action.

If you step up and start, you will find help along the way. Just as misery loves company so does energy, creativity and initiative. You can sit back in fear because you do not have any support, sit back angry because the people you are reaching out to are not helping you or you could step up and start moving. They cannot pick you from the house, or pick ideas from your head and build them. You have to work the idea and show case it. It does not have to be perfect but when you have something to show you make it easy for the right people to see you and support you.

The irony of it though is that the people who helped set the pace or work out correctly did not have to hang out with me every day Your coaches and mentors do not owe you. At some point they need to leave you to continue with your journey. Your success in any goal or activity is not about the people cheering you on or supporting you. It’s about your commitment to go all the way. Even the people closest to you will walk away sometimes, get busy with their goals or not understand your goal. Your motivation will also fail you sometimes. What counts is your Commitment to the goal.

What idea or goal have you been cooking in your mind without actualizing? Stop planning and start acting. Step up and start, you will find help along the way and when help is not available remember it’s your Commitment that will keep you going. Motivation gets you out of bed but Commitment will keep you running in the rain. And..

“The world has a way of paving way for those who know where they are going.”