There are so many distractions. There is so precious little time to achieve all that you want. It is human nature to procrastinate, to spend too much time thinking about it instead of actually doing it. People walk around, talking to other people in the gym, going to visit the water fountain after every set, texting on their smartphones. They don’t really take advantage of the actual time that they have to get the important work done. We are living in the information age and, for many people, it is the age of distraction. People walk the streets with a smartphone in their pocket and a pair of headphones in their ears. It is difficult to shut out the constant stimulus of the digital world. There is so much to be entertained by and so many friends to be in touch with at the touch of a finger, so much vying for our attention. We are living in an age of instant satisfaction. But health and fitness takes mindfulness, focus, and dedication. Sometimes you must turn off your phone and ignore what is going on in the outside world in order to concentrate on the important task at hand. When it comes to developing the body, there is a weak mechanism that exists in the mind: an excuse maker, a distraction seeker, a procrastinator. We must develop a stronger sense of willpower, following through on the plans that we have made for ourselves. Too many people get caught up in the small details of why they are unable to achieve results in the gym. Ninety-nine percent of the time, it is because they won’t push themselves hard enough. When they get a little bit tired, they give up. When it begins to hurt, they take a long break. But if they would just consistently work hard at it day after day, week after week, month after month, their bodies would change. It is a strange trick of the human mind that the things that we would fantasize about or wish to one day do are often the things that we would resist doing in the present moment. What is procrastination? What makes us rationalize the excuses that we make for ourselves? It is in the drama and conflict of life that we get to find out whom we really are and what it is that we are made out of. If you were to be given everything that you wanted without having to really work for it, it wouldn’t mean nearly as much. Hard work makes us honest. And that’s the thing about health and fitness: it requires an honest effort on the part of the participant. We can’t just invest money in it and expect it to happen for us automatically. A personal trainer can be hired or a nutritionist can be hired and a dozen books on the subject can be read, but at the end of the day, most of it depends on you. It’s you and the weights. It’s you and the food you eat. It’s about willpower and sacrifice. What are you willing to put yourself through in order to achieve your desired goal? It’s not supposed to be easy. It’s supposed to be a challenge. Are you really looking for the answer or are you just looking for a distraction? Be honest. The answer is already within you.