Health and fitness goals come in different forms – even forms you wouldn’t ordinarily expect. And often, they symbolize something bigger.
Take, for example, Sammy the Sea Gull…an image that likely already has sparked feelings of confusion within you early on in a story about health and fitness.
Sammy is the mascot for Salisbury University in Salisbury, Maryland, which I’m sure has done little to alleviate those feelings of confusion. No need to worry, because knowing who Sammy is and where he comes from isn’t important. It’s what Sammy symbolizes that matters – in this case, a key milestone in one of my great client’s personal health and fitness journey.
Three months ago, or so, I was in that client’s living room outlining a challenge I designed for any of my clients who wanted to participate. It’s a more personal approach to 75 Hard, the well-known challenge that features six specific tasks to be completed every day for 75 consecutive days.
In this version, they selected six tasks unique to them to complete over the same length of time. They could have a physical component, as in the original 75 Hard, but it didn’t have to be. They simply needed to be tasks, that when consistently completed every day become healthy habits that improve their lives.
This client was the only one to complete my challenge from start to finish. And as we mutually agreed during that initial meeting a few months ago, he earned a prize he set for himself – a Salisbury University cap with an image of Sammy the Sea Gull emblazoned on the front.
I presented him that cap in his living room recently. He admitted to forgetting all about it. Still, he proudly donned that cap, because it confirmed what was important – 75 straight days of doing tasks that have him continuing to move in the right direction toward more significant goals.
Each day, he focused on the task at hand – six tasks to complete that has led to healthy habits now firmly ingrained in his daily life. Now, Sammy the Sea Gull serves as a new symbol as he pursues the next phase of his personal 75-day challenge – a reminder to do the work even on days when he doesn’t feel like it.
How often have you done anything for 75 days in a row? A select few people can make that claim. I’m one of them. I’ve completed the original 75 Hard twice.
But I have also failed once, because I stayed away from staying focused on the tasks at hand. Challenges like these make us stronger. They also expose our weaknesses, the areas in our life we need to improve on to create the best version of ourselves. So in the case of my client, and in all of us…
We have only begun.
If you would like to learn more about how to develop the mindset you needed to reach the goals you have set for yourself, contact me at 814.504.7774 or by email at [email protected] or head to fernandesfit.com.
If you would like to learn more about my health and fitness journey, you can pick up the best-selling book I co-authored, “Real Talk With Real Fit Pros,” on Amazon.
