Fit for Life: If Only….

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Matt Espeut, GoLocalWorcester Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Matt Espeut

I heard an announcer on Monday night football say, “If the receiver was a couple inches taller, he would have caught that pass”.

Then I started thinking “What kind of stupid comment was that?”

If Washington had an offensive line, they would also score more points.

If Chicago’s defensive starters were all injured, they would have had an easier time getting the ball downfield.

I also noted that we could use the word “if” to rationalize everything that goes wrong or doesn’t go right in our lives.

I analyzed it a little more and determined that every bullshit excuse begins with the word “if”, and we should lose it from our vocabulary unless we need to debate and fire back at someone using it as an excuse.

Let’s go over a few excuses that begin with the small but potent word “if”.

If I had more time, I would be able to work out and prep my meals, is a common one that I hear all the time.

And my rebuttal to that one is that “if” it were a priority, you would “make” the time.

So, let’s analyze the word on 2 different levels.

If I had more time….

You DO have the time. You have 24 hours in your day just like everyone else, however, you don’t organize and plan your day so that you can get to the gym and prep your meals. You don’t want it bad enough or you would figure out a way to accomplish your fitness goals. There are many people in great shape that work, have kids and other obligations in their life, and they get it done, so what’s different about you? Where is your time going? We work 8, sleep 8, so that gives 8 more. What do you do with the other 8 hours?

If you take responsibility for your actions, if you make your health a priority, if you schedule your workouts, if you spend less time watching tv at night, if you didn’t surf social media for an hour a day, if you didn’t call your friends and gossip, you would have the time to work out and meal prep. If you are sick and tired of your current health and fitness, it’s up to you to make the move and make your goals a reality.

We can also use the word to sensationalize a more favorable or positive outcome, therefore there are 2 ways to use the word. One is to start that excuse, and one is to defuse any excuses that come your way.

If I get that raise, I will be more financially secure and be able to afford nicer things….

How about, if you deserve it, you will most likely get that raise.

If you are the first one in the office. If you are the last one to leave at night. If you care about the business like it’s your own. If you go above and beyond for your boss. If you are a self-starter, and if you create value to the organization.

If they can’t do without you because you care so much and exert so much energy into your work then it will be impossible to overlook you, and you won’t need to worry about the if factor.

Another great “if” excuse I heard a while back is…. If I had your height, I could have played major league baseball. Imagine that. A couple inches taller and someone’s life could’ve taken a whole different path.

I would now reply…If you bought a batting cage and hit 200 balls a day when you were younger. If you played little league and focused on being a good ballplayer. If you trained every day in high school. If you hired coaches. If you lived and breathed baseball all your life, like every other pro, you may have had a shot. Being born a few inches taller, would not have compensated for all the other hard work required to play in the pro’s, so using that “if” bomb doesn’t justify your lack of action needed to make your dream come true.

It is an easy way to start a fall back excuse and can be used on many levels to justify our lack of success in a lot of areas in life.

If I only went to college, if I didn’t get into trouble when I was younger, If I went into the military, If people didn’t screw me over, if I didn’t get passed over for that promotion, If it wasn’t raining outside, and on and on.

It’s easy to think about what would have happened “if”, or what could happen “if”, however, it is more difficult to deal with the circumstances you were given and make something positive happen in your favor.

The good news is that it is possible with a change of mindset and a strong focus on your current goals and aspirations.

These excuses may be valid; however, they won’t excuse you from your current day responsibilities. It is completely up to us.

We are responsible for everything in our lives, and we have the power and control to change our circumstances.

The next time you catch yourself using the word “if” to start an excuse, stop and rethink your verbiage.

If you hear someone else using it, feel free to go on defense and use it to rebuke any excuse thrown your way.

Committed to your success,

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitness consultant for over 25 years. He is the owner of Fitness Profiles, a one on one, and small group personal training company, as well as Providence Fit Body Boot Camp, located at 1284 North Main St., on the Providence/Pawtucket line. You can reach Matt at (401) 453-3200; on Facebook at "Matt Espeut", and on Twitter at @MattEspeut. "We’re all in this life together – let’s make it a healthy one.

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Fit for Life: If Only….

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