Fit for Life: 8 Years Later & My Patience Is Still Dreadful

Saturday, September 24, 2022

Matt Espeut, Health & Lifestyle Contributor

 

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I am the type of person that swings for the fences every time I get an at-bat.

Go big or go home has been my mantra for years. I don’t dabble, I go all in, and when I have my sights set on something, I want fast results and instant gratification.

When I do things on my laptop, and it goes slow, I find myself pounding on the table with the hope it will speed things up. I am always two steps ahead, clicking the next button before the original task hasn’t been completed yet.

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When I drive, I drive to get to a destination.

I don’t go out sightseeing, and it drives me crazy when someone is in front of me on a leisurely “Sunday Drive”. You know, the ones, that actually stop when the light turns yellow, and they go five mph slower than the speed limit. Well, I do my best to either get around these people, or I slap the steering wheel and yell (to myself) LET’S GO!!.

When I walk in a crowd, such as airports I walk like I’m on a mission. When people “mosey” along, I bob and weave to get by. I especially love the people that stop in the middle of a walkway or in front of the stairwell or escalator, totally oblivious to what’s going around them. “You’re slowing me down” I think to myself.

I like things fast, and I like to move fast. (I do well when I’m in New York & Vegas), because people there get it, and they move fast in those places too.

I set goals and get frustrated when it takes me too long to reach them. I get that failure mentality, and it messes with me emotionally and psychologically.

I also am self-aware, and I acknowledge the fact that in this instantaneous world, things don’t always work as planned, and the 2 things that I have experienced that take patience are fitness and business.

 

I used to think I could become successful and make a lot of money fast; however, that plan backfired when I was in my early 20’s and got myself into big trouble during the process. Years later, I made a lot of money, fast, in real estate; however, 2007 hit, and I watched my fortune nearly turn to bankruptcy in a few short years.

After a few bad experiences, I came to the realization that some things take time to build, and can’t be rushed. Now don’t confuse the terms “not being rushed”, and “moving slowly”. Just because you aren’t in a rush, doesn’t mean you can’t take fast action and avoid “waiting around” for something to happen.

THIS MONTH Providence Fit Body Boot Camp celebrates eight years in business, and although I am not where I want to be in terms of my goals, and level of success, I realize that it’s an ongoing process that never gets easier.

There have been many ups and downs, and bumps in the road along the way.

Personnel problems, Covid problems, system errors, and lots of mistakes, however, we are still standing, and that just confirms the fact that instant gratification and fast results will never transpire in business. Think about it. What business do you know that became an overnight success?

 

It took me longer than most because I started impatiently. I had no: business plan, business education or training, and never run a brick-and-mortar business of my own before.

I got the idea at a business summit in March of 2014 and was all in.

I signed a lease in June of 2014 and opened my doors on September 30, 2014.

I built my business as if I jumped out of a plane and started building my parachute on the way down. Ready, fire, aim is how I operated, and had two options. Either work smart and fast or crash and burn.

So here we are eight years later and stronger than ever. We have awesome members, I have an awesome team, and we have created an awesome community around the organization, and I am anticipating things will continue to get better.

As far as the fitness side, I learned a long time ago that results take time and we need to have patience and trust the process. I also learned the hard way that if you try to rush this process, it will also backfire.

 

In my early years, I got big faster by using anabolic steroids. (See a pattern here?)

Yes, I got big and strong, but paid the price with bad skin, and an irritable personality, along with a rapid decline in strength and size when I stopped using them. That killed me psychologically when people would ask, “What happened? You were bigger a month ago”.

Now, as a fitness coach with close to 30 years of experience, I find myself advocating patience to my clients, and telling them that fitness goals won’t happen overnight and that they need to trust the process. I highlight the fact that getting out of shape and being de-conditioned took time, so reversing the process will too.

 

In my tenure, I have helped hundreds of people lose thousands of pounds, and I know it took hard work and discipline along with consistency to lose each and every pound. Yes, I could put people on liquid “starvation” diets to lose pounds quickly, but that causes detrimental havoc on the body long term, and they would gain all their weight back and more.

Building muscle while losing fat is the formula for long-term success, and building muscle doesn’t come easy.

Nothing worthwhile in our lives comes fast or easy. It took me a long time to realize this; therefore, take note, so you don’t make the same mistakes, or have the same delusional thoughts as me.

 

Regardless of what you are trying to accomplish, either building a better body or a successful business, you need to be patient, persistent, and take action steps that will move the needle forward every single day without missing a beat.

It’s a slow process, but quitting won’t speed things up.

Remember that.

You will hit hills and valleys regardless of what you are trying to accomplish, but you need to keep attacking the hills.

I have hit walls, been knocked down, and faced adversity pretty much my entire life, however, I keep getting up, putting on the gloves and going to battle every day.

 

I may not be the smartest or most talented in every arena, but I know I will outwork everyone around me, and keep coming back for more. I may not have patience in some areas, but persistence and a no-quit mindset have been hardwired into my DNA.

 

If you do the same, and adopt the mindset that you won’t quit regardless of the situation, you will not only accomplish your goals, you may inspire others to do the same, and that’s how we achieve fulfillment and purpose.

 

Committed to your success,

Matt

 

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