My Brain is Broken

And yours is too.

My brain is a huge jerk, and sometimes I hate it. The reason for this is because my brain is acutely aware of the things I would like to accomplish in my life. Having success in my career, my marriage, with my friends, physically, mentally and spiritually… I don’t think that I differ from many other people in the world in this regard. However, my brain often thinks things that amount to:

“gee, instead of doing this thing that will improve your life, and pave your way for success in one of the arenas I know you care about, why don’t we go to the internet and browse videos of people falling on skateboards!”

or:

“Quick question Nate. I know you’re trying to build muscle and eliminate body fat, but why don’t you check this cinnabon out with your mouth hole?”

and the ever popular:

“Why bother updating your blog that you care about, when there are so many Pokemon left to catch?”

My brain is a complete dick to me sometimes. And I know it’s not just me either.

I have clients tell me all the time, “I screwed up this weekend, BUT it was my sisters boyfriends pet rat’s holiday party, and I just had to try the world-famous double cream cheese cake pie!”  Yes, Ms. everything-gives-me-a-good-excuse, I’m talking to you.
But lest you feel left out Mr. I-hurt-my-shoulder-I have-pink-eye-and-sadness-in-my-heart-so-I-can’t-work-0ut, I’m talking to you also.

Just so you don’t think I’m leading you down a path with no good ending, I do have some advice. Actually it’s a question. It’s one of those hypothetical questions designed to lead you to the answer yourself, thereby inducing a feeling of self fulfillment and enlightenment.

What is it that you want?

The reason so much is hinged on answering this simple question is that often times people say they want things, but are actually lying to themselves. For example, my idiot friend. We’ll just call him Nate.

Me: Nate, what do you want?
Nate: I want to write in my blog
Me: Well, what steps have you taken to accomplish that?
Nate: I turned my computer on, and went to the internet.
Me: Then what?
Nate: Went straight to facebook, reddit, and starcraft.
Me: Did you even open your website up?
Nate: Nope
Me: Write any notes? Pick a topic you liked? Write a draft? Read any interesting articles?
Nate: No, no no, no, and no
Me: Do you actually want to write in your blog?
Nate: No, because I suck.

Sometimes it takes the realization of inherent suckiness to make a change. If someone tells me that they want to lose weight, and in the same breath tells me they ate 4 corndogs for lunch, I can easily call bullshit on their declaration of fitness.
So to you new years resolution crowd that wants to lose weight, tone up, gain muscle, run a 5k, etc. PROVE IT. What have you done to further your goal since the beginning of January? Picked up a diet, started counting calories, hit the gym after work, called a trainer? What is it? If I had the choice of training someone who sucks at working out, is doing everything wrong, but has set goals, I would take that person 10 times out of 10 over someone in shape with no goals.

Being in shape is not cheap or easy. It costs something, sometimes a lot. Depending on who you are, it can cost you your after work nap, it can cost you some cheeto-lust at your work potluck, it can cost you a couple hundred dollars for a trainer. So you tell me, is it worth it? For those of you who say yes – Prove it.

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