There’s a woman at my gym, and she looks fucking amazing. She’s got the whole thing going on, you know, the six-pack and the back muscles and the ripped thighs and the defined shoulders. She knocks out pull-ups like they’re the easiest thing in the world, and she smiles during burpees. I mean, who smiles during burpees? SHE DOES.

I asked one of the gym trainers what it takes for her to look so good, and he replied, “She works out once in the morning and once in the evening, 6 days a week, and her diet is strict, basically chicken and broccoli for dinner each night kind-of-thing”.

Oh.

You know what? In that moment, I let go of wanting to have a six-pack.

Why?

Because I don’t want a six-pack enough.

Because I’m not prepared to put in the work to get one.

I sometimes like to drink red wine and eat homemade foccacia and strawberry cake. I like to spend my evenings with friends, or Kristin, or running in the park. I don’t want to spend every evening, 6 days a week, in the gym, doing burpees and pull-ups and whatever else it takes to get a six-pack. I am unwilling to make it happen.

And because of this, I lose my right to talk and whine and moan about wanting a six-pack.

It’s simple: Either do the work. Or shut up talking about it.

If you want to lose weight, there is a very simple equation to do so, and it goes like this: Eat less shit and do some exercise.

If you’re not prepared to eat less shit; if you don’t want to eat salads for dinner, and drink green smoothies for breakfast and swop pizza for lentil soup, then shut up about wanting to lose weight. Because it’s not going to happen. You are unwilling to make it happen.

If you don’t want to exercise for the recommended half an hour a day, because you’d rather spend the time you have watching your favourite television show, or crafting with your kids, or snoozing in bed, then shut up about wanting to do more exercise. Because it’s not going to happen. You are unwilling to make it happen.

The same goes for leaving your job, or wanting to make more money, or meditating each day or learning a new language or being vegan. You have to do the work.

You know what? Not wanting to do the work is totally ok if you just don’t want the ‘thing’ enough that requires the work. You’ve got to be honest with yourself here. How much do you want it? Are you willing to do the work?

Doing the work looks like fighting sugar cravings and ignoring the voice in your head that says, “Hey! Why are you running on a treadmill? Just get off and go and sit in the jacuzzi instead AND EAT SOME FRIES”.

Doing the work looks like dusting yourself off and getting back up when your first business idea flops, or setting the alarm 30 minutes earlier to practice yoga or sitting down and opening your laptop and writing – even when you can’t think of anything to write about and you’re sure your novel will be rubbish and nobody will want to read it.

It’s simple. Either do the work. Or shut up talking about it.

Here’s my question to you: What is it that you want, and are you prepared to put in the work?

If you’re not prepared to put in the work, are you prepared to let it go and shut up talking about it?