I couldn’t help but hear the news about Rob Ford over the last couple of days. On the weekend he announced that he was officially “giving up” on his Cut the Waist Challenge, just 3 weeks before it was scheduled to finish. This was after missing several scheduled weigh-ins. Yes, this is the same challenge that he publicly started in January to raise money for charity and help motivate others to get leaner. To be honest, I thought it was a smart idea at the time… he creates a media buzz for himself, creates accountability for reaching his fat loss goals, and sends a positive message at the same time. Good for you Rob!

But, wow… did he ever disappoint me. He not only let himself down, but he let down everyone whom he had offered to help motivate.

Now I want to make something clear – I’m not disappointed in Rob because he failed to reach his goal. He didn’t let us down because he cheated on his “diet” (I hate that word!).

 

It’s not even an issue to me that he now appears defeated and weak… heck, we all have our moments of weakness. The main issue of concern for me is that he just gave up. He made a huge public commitment to do something important, and then he just quit. Worse than that, it almost seems like he didn’t even try. He has been quoted as saying “I don’t care about the weigh-in. I’m not even dieting anymore. It’s gone!”

To be fair, since then he has rescinded some of his comments, and says he may still weigh in again at the end of the challenge. We’ll see. In the meantime, I think we can all learn something from Mr. Ford. Here are the 3 lessons I drew from his Cut the Waist Challenge:

 

Lesson 1. “He who has a strong enough why can bear almost any how.” -Nietzsche

As I haven’t quite mastered my ‘mind-reading’ skills, I don’t know for sure what Rob Ford’s motivation was for taking on this challenge. But I do know that if you have a big enough “Why”, you will find out “How” to achieve your goal. You need a strong reason to motivate you. Without a big WHY to drive you, any obstacle can throw you off your chosen course.

 

Lesson 2. “How you do ANYTHING is how you do EVERYTHING!” -T. Harv Eker

If you tend to give a half-assed effort in some areas of your life, that reflects on every area of your life. This is especially true once you commit to something. Once you’ve made a commitment, your integrity demands that you give 100% to whatever it is you’ve committed to. If you can’t do that, then don’t make the commitment until you are ready. This applies to all areas of your life. If you decide to do something, and you publicly commit to it, you make it happen! You are not a quitter. Which leads me to the third lesson…

 

Lesson 3. “Never, never, NEVER give up!” -Winston Churchill

Don’t give up, no matter what! Persistence is one of the more powerful traits you can adopt. Persistence trumps natural talent. Persistence beats superior intelligence. Persistence wins against all odds. Never give up.

I posted another article on my blog a few months ago related to persistence, staying focused, and the power of your mindset over the obstacles we all face. Check it out here... you might find it motivating.

=> You Have the Power And the Responsibility!

I hope this post has helped to provide a constructive framework from which to observe Mayor Ford’s struggle. I also hope you have found something motivational here to help you reach your health and fitness goals. If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment in the section below… I look forward to hearing from you and I will be sure to reply!

Stay fit,

Josh