WE ARE THE CULMINATION OF OUR HABITS.

WE ARE WHAT WE DO OFTEN.

WHEN I KNOW THAT I NEED TO BECOME GOOD AT SOMETHING, I SPEND TIME DOING IT. WHEN SOMETHING IS IMPORTANT TO ME, I MAKE IT A PRIORITY.

THERE’S THIS STORY ABOUT JOHN. JOHN SAID HE WANTED TO BE A GOOD SPOUSE, AND THAT HIS MARRIAGE WAS IMPORTANT TO HIM. HE REALLY LOVED HIS WIFE, BUT JOHN NEVER HAD TIME TO SPEND WITH HER. THEY GREW APART. FOR A WEEK. A MONTH. A YEAR. A DECADE.

“YES DEAR, I CARE DEEPLY FOR YOU”, JOHN SAID. “YOU ARE IMPORTANT, AND I WANT OUR MARRIAGE TO BE HEALTHY & LAST FOREVER. THAT IS WHY I WILL MAKE THIS COMMITMENT TO YOU. FOR 5 DAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY YEAR, WE WILL SPEND AN HOUR TOGETHER. IF THINGS GO WELL, I MAY POSSIBLY COMMIT TWO ENTIRE HOURS PER WEEK FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR!”

JOHN IS CLEARLY A CASANOVA.

WHEN THAT IDEA DIDN’T LAND WITH ENTHUSIASM, HE TRIED A MORE SUBTLE APPROACH. “SWEETHEART, I KNOW YOU SAID YOU WANT TO MAKE OUR MARRIAGE BETTER. AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, EVIDENTLY I NEED TO MAKE YOU MORE OF A PRIORITY”, JOHN SAYS. “BUT YOU SEE, IT’S JUST TOO DIFFICULT TO WAKE UP AN HOUR EARLIER TO SPEND TIME WITH YOU, EVEN THOUGH THAT’S MY ONLY CHANCE FOR THE DAY. AND I WOULD MAKE AN HOUR A DAY TO COME SEE YOU, BUT WORK IS ALWAYS SUPER CRAZY.” (EVIDENTLY JOHN IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT AT WORK). “WE COULD GET LUNCH TOGETHER, BUT THERE’S THIS RESTAURANT THAT IS JUST SO CLOSE TO WORK. IT’S JUST SO CONVENIENT I CAN’T JUSTIFY DOING ANYTHING ELSE. I KNOW YOU’RE IMPORTANT. AND I WANT OUR MARRIAGE TO THRIVE. IT’S JUST KIND OF INCONVENIENT.”

HMM…

IT’S FUNNY.

WE SAY THAT WE WANT TO LOOK BETTER. TO FEEL BETTER. WE SAY THAT WE HAVE GOALS. THAT OUR HEALTH IS IMPORTANT TO US. WE DON’T WANT TO GET SICK AND FRAIL AS WE AGE, OR SUCCUMB TO AN EARLY DEMISE BECAUSE WE DIDN’T TKAE CARE OF OUR BODIES. WHICH WILL HAPPEN IF WE DON’T. WE KNOW THAT. AND WE’RE REALLY GOOD AT PUSHING THAT FACT DOWN DEEP INTO THE CREVICES OF OUR MINDS AND IGNORING IT UNTIL, WELL, WE CAN’T ANYMORE.

WE SAY THAT THIS THING IS IMPORTANT. THAT WE WANT TO GET HEALTHY. TO LOSE WEIGHT SO WE’RE NOT CONSIDERED OVERWEIGHT OR OBESE. BUT DAY AFTER DAY, WEEK AFTER WEEK, MONTH AFTER MONTH AND YEAR AFTER YEAR IT’S AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR PRIORITY LIST.

IT’S THE LAST THING WE MAKE TIME FOR.

IT’S WHAT WE “GET AROUND TO DOING” IF WE DON’T HAVE ANYTHING BETTER TO DO.

BUT, WE GET MAD THAT WE’RE OVERWEIGHT. THAT OUR CLOTHES DON’T FIT. THAT WE DON’T LIKE WHO WE SEE IN THE MIRROR. THAT WE’RE ON MEDICATIONS AND THAT WE GET SHORT OF BREATH CARRYING OUR GROCERIES INSIDE, OR CLIMBING THE STAIRS.

JUST FACE IT. IT’S NOT IMPORTANT. OR, IT HASN’T BEEN.

NOT YET. BUT IT CAN BE.

YOU’RE ONE DECISION AWAY FROM BEING ON THE ROAD TO THE PERFECT MARRIAGE TO YOUR HEALTH AND FITNESS. AND NO ONE IS GOING TO TAKE YOU FROM POINT A TO POINT B OTHER THAN YOURSELF. YOU’LL NEED A GUIDE TO HELP, BUT THE HERO OF YOUR STORY IS READING THIS BLOG POST, RIGHT NOW.

IF YOU KEEP MAKING YOUR HEALTH A PRIORITY LIKE “JOHN” MADE HIS WIFE A PRIORITY, DON’T BE SURPRISED WHEN IT’S NOT THERE FOR YOU WHEN IT COUNTS.

MAKE A DECISION. MAKE THAT DECISION A PRIORITY. PUT IT ON YOUR CALENDAR.

BE CONSISTENT.

FLOURISH. BE WELL. YOU DESERVE THAT.

In Health,

Coty