5/11: SACRIFICE

Last week I talked about investing in yourself.  This week I want to give you some thoughts correlating to that, but maybe on the other side of the coin.  What are you willing to sacrifice to get to where you want to go?  Because there WILL be sacrifice, and if you don’t understand that, you will never reach your goals.

When I started down the path of opening my first gym with a partner, my wife and I had plenty of discussions on the sacrifices that were going to be required.  Little did we know the sacrifices were going to be much harder than we anticipated.  The obvious sacrifices were investment capital, time away from each other, and balancing kids’ schedules.  The not so obvious ones were sleep deprivation, the toll on my body, business decisions within the partnership, expenses that I did not see coming, and the myriad of surprises that come with running a business.  I also had to learn plenty of business, marketing and sales skills that were all new to me.  But those sacrifices had to be made to make the business work.

So often when people come in for a trial class, I’m amazed at what seems to be a lack of understanding that some part of their life will have to be sacrificed.  You are going to have to spend money.  You are going to have travel time.  You are going to have scheduling issues with the rest of your life.  You are going to have the occasional aches and pains that come with a combat sport.  You are going to have time away from your family.  But what do you expect if you want to change a part of your life or a family members life that is not going the way you want it?  By definition, you are adding a new element to your life, so something has to give elsewhere.

But…..what should you NOT sacrifice?  You should not sacrifice your values and morals.  I’m sure we have all been in situations where you felt pressured to act a certain way, or do a certain thing that either went against your values and beliefs or pushed right up against that limit.  For me, even getting close to that limit makes me feel uncomfortable.  Unfortunately, the reality of life is that there are plenty of people in this world that operate with few morals or values and it is easy to be led astray.  Often, they let the ends justify the means.  Every time I have allowed someone to push me beyond my morals and values, I have regretted it.

Only you know where that line is for yourself.  It is often hard to resist holding that line especially as a younger adult or child when peer pressure comes into play.  You may have to sacrifice a relationship with someone you have been friends with avoid sacrificing your modal code.  I have done that myself.  But maintaining your integrity for your soul is so much more important.

What sacrifices are you willing to make to achieve your goals?  If you haven’t written them down, maybe now is a good time.  Write down what your dreams are.  Write down what you are willing to sacrifice to get there.  Decide if it’s worth it, then hit the gas pedal and go.