If you want to improve your health, choose faith over fear.

Does that mean you never get concerned or scared?

Definitely not.

In my opinion, having zero fear is a dangerous thing. Only someone with extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior feels zero fear.

I choose faith over fear; however, I still have concerns.

I care a ton about everything that I do, my family, our business, our team, our clients, everything.

Whether it's this email lesson, a lesson I'm editing, our fitness-and-nutrition coaching program, the results my coaching clients are getting... I'm very concerned.

But I'm okay with that. Being concerned means I care.

I care about what people think, I anxiously await their feedback, and it keeps me on my toes to constantly get better.

Expressing concern is helpful, it keeps you on alert, and it can be a great motivator.

When it comes to your health, are you in a state of panic?

Are you paralyzed with fear because you're feeling "old" and "everything hurts"?

Feeling hopeless after a bad report from your doctor?

I hope not.

Are you concerned? I sure hope so.

Because that means you're doing something that will cause you to get better.

Other things that may cause concern:

• Your journey to maintain/reclaim your health, or any other transformation
• Trying something new, like playing a musical instrument
• Thinking you won't be able to do what others are doing, like rebuilding your body
• Not knowing what to do or where to start

But that's okay.

Why?

It means you'll be on high alert and you'll care about every single detail.

It means you'll try your hardest and put your best effort in.

And remember this:

If you're not doing something that concerns you every single day, you aren't getting better.

A great quote from Hugh Laurie:

“It’s a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you’re ready. I have this feeling right now that actually no one is ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now.”

Whether you’re concerned because you’re not sure how to start, or you’re worried because you are about to try something new, go for something great and challenge yourself.

Being concerned is okay, just don’t let it paralyze you.

Don't wait for perfection, start now.

Imperfect action cures fear.

The Stanford Marshmallow Experiment

It was a study on delayed gratification, back in 1972, led by psychologist Walter Mischel, a professor at Stanford University.

In this study, a child was offered a choice between one small but immediate marshmallow reward, or two small marshmallow rewards if they waited for a period of time.

The researchers followed each child for more than 40 years and over and over again, the group who waited patiently for the second marshmallow succeed in whatever capacity they were measuring.

In other words, this series of experiments suggested that the ability to delay gratification was critical for success in life.

And then the study author gave a talk in 2015.

He said that children who waited longer tended to become more self-reliant, more self-confident, less distractible and more able to cope with stress as adolescents.

"If the child is waiting 15 minutes, it is telling you something important: Now you know she is able to wait effectively for something when she really wants it,” Mischel said.

And then he added this caveat:

"If the child doesn’t wait it may mean she just didn’t think it was worth waiting for."

In my world, the marshmallow is the feeling you get from achieving your ideal self.

In other words, this is the leanest, strongest, and happiest version of you.

The "waiting" is the time it takes to follow the fundamental habits of health and happiness.

Do you follow these simple daily habits that will get you there?

Do you train smart, eat mindfully, sleep deeply, manage stress, and stay accountable with your coach?

I've witnessed much success in my 25+ years of coaching.

Some wins occurred very quickly.

Other successes took years.

Either way, success requires patience and a positive attitude.

How a Positive Attitude Can Improve Your Health 

I'm a big believer in the long game, being diligent day after day.

You have to understand the importance of delayed gratification as you work towards your ultimate goal.

Of course you may work harder, study more, and even suffer more than anyone else.

But does that relentless "hustle-and-grind" attitude guarantee success? Probably not.

It helps to work smart and have the right attitude. My most successful clients have mastered these four traits:

1. Discipline and consistency

Discipline is what separates the leaders from the followers.

If you want to change your life, you have to do uncomfortable things and maintain high quality and optimum performance each time.

Remember that perfect practice makes perfect.

Being consistent goes hand-in-hand with patience, whereby you continue performing well regardless of the situation.

Discipline and consistency are also interrelated, in the sense that discipline breeds consistency.

2. Resilience

Problems are a part of life; however, it's the resilient person who prevails in the end.

Learn from your past mistakes and, next time, adjust your actions accordingly.

3. Optimism

You need to stay positive about your situation, regardless of the problems that you face.

Never forget that you are free to choose your attitude.

It is vital that you stay optimistic and always believe that you will achieve your goal, no matter what. If you tell yourself that you will reach it sooner, chances are you will.

4. Patience

Some goals are gigantic and will take time to accomplish.

If your goal is realistic yet very big, you will need to remind yourself that it's indeed possible.

How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

The secret to accomplishing the loftiest goal is to break it down into smaller tasks.

I hope this helps you on your journey.

Remember, you are your best investment. Don't hesitate to invest in yourself.

This is a good time to dive deeper into the idea of maintaining or reclaiming your health.

Both involve following a proven system.

If you want to scale from frustrating weight-loss "diets" and "cleanses" to creating a lean-and-strong body for life, you must embrace the concept of "Standards & Systems." 

• Standards are simply the level of performance that you need to meet for each task so that you make weekly progress.
• Systems are what you must be taught to execute, in order to meet those standards consistently.

I’ve got a unique perspective on this, as it’s what I learned by creating and delivering over 100,000 body-transformation programs during the last 25+ years.

But it’s not complicated and that’s how I’ve been able to do it.

You just need to start by identifying what the Standards are for each task and for each role.

Think of it this way:

"What does being great at that task or role clearly look like?"

"How do you measure success… a job done well?"

Then, I make those things abundantly clear to the person I'm asking to take on that responsibility. That person is you.

Next, I teach you how to meet that standard consistently.

That’s your System. Your proven process.

Together we document the way to be great at the task.

After that, we take imperfection and practice that "way" to meet those standards and, voila, you’ve achieved your priority-one goal.

And if you want to implement the four core traits and finally have a systems-driven approach to achieving your Ideal Body (the leanest and strongest version of you), keep reading.

I’m going to take a small group of clients through a jump-start program called the 14-Day Fat Flush.

We'll use your internet connection, computer, smartphone to deliver everything you need for success (training, nutrition, recovery, coaching, accountability).

You'll get leaner, stronger, and happier than you've been in a while.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women get leaner, stronger, and happier. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to lose weight from home, with the best online longevity personal trainer, or you want to visit the best age-management personal trainer in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.