When I was in high school, my negative attitude held me back from being a successful athlete, student, leader and friend. Many friends, family members, teachers and coaches did not have much hope that I would achieve anything with my life. I am reminded of this when I encounter them - after not having seen them for a period of years - and their first question is phrased in some way like this:
"What happened to you?"
Well, it’s time to come clean: When I was 18 I was abducted by a band of refugee aliens who were fighting to establish a representative democracy within the galaxy. Their machine learning algorithm identified me as a potential leader for their revolution. They adorned me in vibrant garments and referred to me as the, "anointed one". As it turned out, there was a glitch in their database and the human life-form they were looking for was actually named, "Tate". Classic mix-up. However, they did not detect the glitch in the database before injecting me with a personality-altering serum that forced me to change my habits, beliefs and perspective.
I joke because it difficult to answer that question. I have thought a lot about “what happened to me” and in truth, it was the result of one choice.
There came a day when I looked in the mirror and was unhappy with who I had become. I wasn’t a totally hopeless, morally-bankrupt, unintelligent guy; I just knew that I wanted my life to be different. At that point, I was reflecting on the finitude of life and how fortunate I was to be alive and healthy. These reflections created in me a moral-obligation to live the most fulfilling life possible. I planned to set out on a mission to consistently improve my character and strive towards goals that would reveal how strong I truly was. While sufficiently inspired to change, I had no idea where such a process would begin. After realizing that I had been neglecting my physical health for a few years, I decided that my journey would begin the next day at 5:30 am, when I would wake up and go to the gym.
I certainly have made changes in my life in the four years since since implementing that habit. Waking up at 5:30 am to workout every weekday has changed my life in ways that extend far beyond being physically fit. This habit has taught me everything I know about the driving force behind all other personal change: willpower. Of all the things I say on my blog, this I know to be capital T True: if you get up at 5:30 am to exercise every day, you have the ability to change every aspect of your life.
I’d like to share the four things I have learned from getting up at 5:30 am to exercise.
1. Getting the hard stuff done first makes the rest of your day easy.
Working out in the morning sets the tone for the intensity, discipline and mental clarity that I bring to the other activities of my day. Because waking up early requires an immense amount of discipline and personal-sacrifice, I am forced to exercise my willpower muscle first thing in the morning each day. Constantly strengthening my willpower muscle helps me attack the items on my to do list with persistence and tenacity.
When I began this habit, I was a 215 pound college student that primarily subsisted off of a healthy diet of light beer and cheap burritos. I had a tendency to procrastinate by pursuing pleasure in the form of Netflix and partying. That all changed when I adopted the habit of exercising first thing in the morning. Not only did I lose 30 pounds in one year, but I was noticing large improvements in my academic performance, tidiness and ability to accomplish all the items on my to-do list.
Performing a physically challenging task first thing in the morning provides me with the necessary confidence and courage to tackle the most formidable challenges on my to do list right away. With the most challenging task of my day done by 7:00 am, everything else is easier by comparison.
2. I only have myself to blame for my shortcomings.
Making the choice to work out each morning taught me about the importance of personal accountability. After becoming a gym rat, I realized that my old habit of making excuses for my own inadequacies had brought me nowhere. I began to take ownership of my choices and the consequences that they would bring. After all, it was only me who knew if I was making the right decisions and adequate sacrifices to achieve results in the gym. When I fell short of my expectations, I began to evaluate my own preparation and behavior rather than looking for someone to blame.
The personal accountability I was learning from the gym extended to other areas of my life as I attempted to take on more leadership roles in classes and in clubs. I grew to have an ironclad faith in my ability to manage my responsibilities and deliver results in a timely manner. Only once I realized that I was the “master of my fate and the captain of my soul'' did I have the ability to change the other aspects of my life.
3. Getting ahead of the competition means doing what others aren’t willing to.
“Today I will do what others won't, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can't” - Jerry Rice
The gym is far less crowded at 5:30 am than it is at 5:30 pm. It's pretty obvious why that may be. At 5:30 am it is pitch black outside. My grogginess weighs me down like I am wearing a sopping wet robe. The last thing on the list of “ideal activities” is being crouched over, drenched in sweat, with a dull pain in my chest as I violently gasp for air. No one in their right mind would do that if they didn’t have to.
But that is exactly why I do it.
To be an overachiever, one must produce better results than everyone else. To achieve uncommon results, one must employ uncommon means. This means doing what every one of the competitors will not and cannot do. The habit of pushing my limits forces me to take inventory of what others are doing and always try to do more. By making the choice to get up early and workout, I demonstrate to myself that I am willing to sacrifice comfort for progress.
From my amateur study of successful people, it seems that success is the result of consistently putting in more hours of work over a long period of time. The gym has taught me that pushing yourself to work harder for a longer period of time is something you can make a habit. Each moment of our lives, we can make a choice in the direction of growth or in the direction of stasis and apathy. Applying this work-ethic and persistence learned from the gym taught me about what it took to be successful in the classroom and in the job search. My effort is one of the only things that I can control, so I will hit the accelerator until I no longer have the choice.
4. You find your tribe.
"When a man walks into a room, he brings his whole life with him. He has a million reasons for being anywhere, just ask him." - Don Draper, Mad Men
I would like to share a story that demonstrates the best potential benefit of going to the gym early in the morning. After going to the gym at my regular time for a few months, I kept seeing this guy who also happened to be in one of my accounting courses. We had never spoken to one another but we were aware of each other’s existence. One day he approached me and introduced himself. He struck me as a polite, well-spoken and friendly guy. As we started to converse more regularly, we began working out together and studying for our exams.
As I got to know more about this guy, I learned that he was mentally, physically and academically a machine. He had never received anything less than an A in any of his classes. I was amazed by this incredible accomplishment. This guy was consistent and determined to make his life better in every aspect. Being in his presence inspired me to be a better student, person, and friend. Needless to say this man is still one of my best friends today.
This story highlights the most important benefit of going to the gym at 5:30 am: you meet people who are ambitious, dedicated and inspiring. Most people who work out first thing in the morning are on an upward trajectory on the path of accomplishment. They attempt to excel in more than one aspect of their life. They are proactive about chasing their goals. Most importantly, they understand the importance of sacrificing short-term pleasure for long-term rewards. I cannot understate the significance of how important it is to surround yourself with people like this. Being in a crowd of motivated and intelligent people makes you want to become more motivated and intelligent. Humans are an incredibly community oriented species. We learn how to behave by seeing what is socially acceptable behavior. By placing yourself in a community where discipline, achievement and determination is rewarded, you can learn how to adopt those traits on a decision-by-decision basis!
Concluding Note
I hope that my account of how physical fitness has changed my life has inspired you to change yours. We often hear about the common benefits of fitness: more energy, better sleep, more self-confidence, etc. But those don’t even scratch the surface of the most important outcome. Going to the gym first thing in the morning gives you the necessary determination and courage to attack every obstacle. It is the one habit that will give you the courage and motivation to adopt ten other beneficial habits. It all starts with your commitment to physical health.
At the psychological root of the question, “what happened to you” I think people are wondering if that same potential for change exists in them too. The answer is an unequivocal, resounding, undeniable yes. You don’t have to accomplish it all in one day. You can start by going to the gym.
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