Some thoughts about arguably the most powerful emotion.

❤️ Love.

You feel it in your heart. You feel it so strongly that it moves you deeply.

Let it out and don't hold back.

Tell the most important people in your world that you love them.

Stop assuming anything. 

Showing friends and family how much they mean to you is a must, of course.

But telling them matters too.

There's something about hearing those words that can be so impactful and affirming.

Saying "I love you" means an awful lot.

It feels great to hear it, and felt even better to reciprocate it.

Love is too powerful an emotion to be tucked away and unnecessarily silenced.

Here's my request: If you love someone, anyone, be sure to let them know.

Tell the folks you care about how much you love them for no reason at all and at any time of the year.

Texts and emails are excellent, but actually saying it is even better.

I can assure you that you'll make their day much brighter and you'll feel pretty awesome too.

Before I get into today's lesson, I want to acknowledge two very important people in my life.

My parents have been married for 55 years. And, at the time of this writing, this is their wedding-anniversary week.

Way to go, Mom and Dad. You guys are always leading by example.

How to Commit

Commitment means that certain decisions are made in advance, regardless of the circumstances.

Consider what it takes to really commit to something.

To do what you say you will do even when you don't feel like it.

But what does commitment actually mean?

Maybe it's commitment to being a better co-worker, friend, or spouse.

Maybe it's commitment to improving your health.

No matter what, it comes down to these four things.

1. A strong desire

Without a compelling reason, it's really hard to commit to something.

You'll need a clear and personal reason to take action.

When things get difficult (which they will) you'll need a strong desire and compelling reason to stay committed.

If you don't have that as your base, you may not keep your promise.

With a strong desire and a strong "why," you are more likely to do what you say.

2. Keystone actions

Once you have a strong desire to accomplish something, you'll need to identify the core actions that are going to get you there. These are the keystone actions.

Remember, it's what you do that counts, and there are numerous activities to accomplish a task.

However, it's important to stay focused on the keystone actions (aka "big rocks") which are the things that actually produce the greatest results.

Remember the 80/20 rule?

20% of your actions produce 80% of your results.

Don't boil the ocean. Instead focus on the big things that make the most impact.

3. Count the costs

In any commitment, there will always be a cost.

It may be actual money, or other costs like time, loss of freedom, etc.

For example, if you have a strong desire to lose bodyfat, there's going to be costs associated with it.

You're going to have to dedicate time for exercise; however, there are proven ways to be more efficient with your workouts.

You may even have to say "no" to some social things so you have less temptation to make poor nutritional choices. Is "getting a drink" with friends moving you closer, or further away, from your goals?

And there's the cost of probably feeling a little scared or uncomfortable in the beginning.

With any commitment comes some type of cost, and you have to ask yourself, are you willing to pay the price?

4. Act on commitments, not feelings

There will be plenty of times when you don't feel like doing the critical activities required for your desired outcome.

Things like waking up early to train or going to your coaching session after work instead of going home.

Maybe you go somewhere you really don't want to go because you know it will make your spouse happy.

It's during tough times you learn how to act on commitments, not on feelings.

If not, you'll never build momentum, and learn to do things you know you need to do, regardless of how you feel.

Maybe you're at a pivotal moment.

Perhaps you're frustrated with the progress you've made with your goals.

Or you haven't even started yet.

Truth is, what you do right now determines your future success.

Do you reboot your brain and move forward?

Or do you outright give up?

Well, here are five proven strategies to follow if you want to get leaner, stronger, and happier over the next 12 weeks.

Ever wonder why so many people try and fail, in an effort to get healthy?

When it comes to losing fat and building muscle, many unsuccessful people focus on eliminating bad habits.

• "I'll stop smoking."
• "No more late-night eating."

In my opinion this is a waste of time.

Instead, commit to goals and not resolutions.

As you'll soon see, this approach automatically sets you up for success.

A proper goal is realistic, measurable and has a deadline (which is also attainable).

Once you set your goal, you'll need an action plan.

An action plan is a fancy way of saying you'll need to follow a system of healthy habits.

So here's what your action plan might look like if your goal is to lose 12 pounds of bodyfat in 12 weeks.

And it's not rocket science and there are no actual "secrets."

• Keep a positive mindset. This often requires you to stay away from negative folks in your environment.
• Drink your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you weigh 170 pounds, that's 170 ounces of water daily.Too much? Start with half of that amount.
• Eat 4-6 portion-controlled meals daily. A complete meal is one lean protein and a low-energy carbohydrate. For example, grilled chicken and roasted asparagus. Can you eat one big meal per day? Can you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner? Yes, there are many strategies that work as long as you are mindful of your calories and food choices.
• Get eight hours of quality sleep every single night. Deep, restorative sleep is when your cells recover from stress.To achieve this, you'll need to schedule a realistic bedtime. You must stick with it too.
• Follow a structured training plan that is based on the principles of progression and overload. This is my favorite part of the system. You can never underestimate the power of a well-designed strength-and-conditioning program. Versus some foolish, randomized daily workout that eventually breaks your body.

This is the exact system Sharon and I teach within our fitness-and-nutrition coaching program.

We coach our clients from countries around the globe, virtually, and also in-person at our world-class facility.

Coach Sharon handles the nutrition part and I focus on the training and recovery bits.

Think about how commitment applies to both fitness and life.

After that, take imperfect action and do the work.

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.