Like countless times before on 23rd January, 2017 I wobbled into the gym weighing almost 190 pounds. I was at my worst, I could feel the filth and grogginess just coursing through my body, I would start panting after a small flight of stairs and get chest pains sometimes. Prior to this expedition, I’d joined a gym and decided to change my lifestyle approximately 100 other times (a bit of an exaggeration) but you get my point.

But this time around, I lost 60 pounds, got the six pack I always wanted and I’ve never felt better. My Strength Levels are amazing, I can think clearly, am comfortable in my own skin and most importantly I’ve developed a lifestyle, a healthy lifestyle that I can sustain. I’ve also been able to help a few of my close friends and family members achieve their fitness goals.

Why I Failed?

I would often just blindly follow what my trainer would ask me to do, eat and drink what was asked of me, workout without a proper split or a good regimen, spend countless hours on cardio even though I hated it. I never felt the pull, so I figured sometimes you just need to push. Eventually, I’d just grow tired, restless, impatient and quit altogether. I couldn’t see the results, any results, presumed I would fail in this venture and no matter how hard I tried I would just fail.

We take the pattern we think we
observe and project it forward into the future.

Without consciously deciding on what I wanted and how I wanted to get there, I inherently compromised myself before I started. We often grow heavily reliant on external factors, don’t take out the time to fully understand our needs and keep moving aimlessly.

What Changed?

A massive shift in mindset. I believe that human potential is nearly limitless but having potential is not the same as doing something about it. We are the apex predators for a reason i.e. our brain. I have read, heard and listened to a lot of entrepreneurs, motivational speakers, authors, self-help books and you know what they all shared?

A growth mindset. Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk, Mel Robbins, Tom Bilyeu and countless others share the same mentality. Now, I’m not saying that this is the sole reason for their success but I believe that these people have tapped into something we’ve not even given ourselves the chance to explore.

If there are only 3 things that we can train: craft, body and mind. Why aren’t we taught how to train the mind? We gather countless skills and degrees to hone our craft, we spend hours at the gym to work on our body but we forget the most important aspect, the human mind. There are still facets of the human mind and consciousness that we do not fully understand but there’ve been countless studies and research over the past few years that accurately measured the immense benefits stemming out of mindfulness and meditation.

But I digress, I succeeded because I stopped living in the present. I saw myself on a long enough timeline and where I was a few years down the line, how I wanted to look & what I wanted to achieve.

Living in The Future

Don’t get me wrong, I am aware of the importance of living in the present and enjoying the moment. We all know the implications of this. But my ideology is simple, if you put in the work, if you remain true to you, your goals, you will see results. These results might not manifest themselves in a day, week or even months, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving a 100 percent.

There were times when I would want to give up, when I grew tired, lost motivation but I didn’t allow that to deter me from the vision I had. I could see as clear as day, some rock hard abs, never feeling out of breath, enjoying the food i ate, being able to deadlift more than twice my body weight. I saw it all, worked for it and manifested my dreams.

There was a period of 4 months wherein i didn’t shed a single pound, didn’t lift more than the previous week, my strength levels diminished yet the image that i had in my mind, remained solid, it never changed, not even a minor tweak. In this fast paced society, nobody is putting on the Marathon Shoes, everyone just wants to dash a quick sprint and get results instantaneously.

I urge you to project yourself to the future. Create the image you want to achieve, it can be related to anything you want, money, career, fitness, anything! Put on the goddamn marathon shoes because life isn’t a race, we all know what’s at the finish line. Death. You can mould the reality that you want, truly manifest anything you desire but you need to live in the future. Do not be led astray by the presents cruel ungratefulness, towards all your hard work.

I wither away at the thought of you,
I am numbing blue & not amused,
Often it weeps, this feeling, it creeps,
It knocks at my door, docks at my shore,
Begs me for more, down to my core.
This dream that i hold, its made out of gold,
Not even bold, its ancient, ages old.
I wither away at the thought of you,
Crimson red this flame, owning all this blame,
To be a little more, what i know at my core.

Living in The Moment is Bullsh*t. Live in The Future. was originally published in The Ascent on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.