Is It REALLY Hard?

I've been spending the past several weeks on the west coast hanging out at The Biggest Loser Resort getting a jumpstart on making my health and fitness a priority again (one of the reasons why I love my business is that I can do it anywhere!!).

One of the trainers at the resort, Sam Poueu, looked very familiar to me the first time I saw him.  Why? Because he was from Season 9 of The Biggest Loser. And as he had us sweating,  huffing and puffing yesterday, he talked about staying focused, not giving up and doing what most people won't do to get what we want.

He went on to say that one question he often gets continues to catch him off guard. What's the question?

"Was it hard to be on the show and lose 142 pounds?"

I immediately understood what he was saying.  As a life coach, I am no longer surprised by people's belief that things should be easy. That they shouldn't have to sacrifice, be uncomfortable, make difficult choices, be disciplined, and...do I dare say it...work hard.

I don't know if it's the media, savvy marketing, or our instant gratification syndrome that makes many of us believe that things shouldn't be hard. That somehow, people who get what they want don't have to do as much work as we would have to do to get that same thing.

Here are two definitions I came across for the word "hard":

1. Involving a great deal of effort, energy, or persistence.
2. Performing or carrying on work with great effort, energy, or persistence.

Name one successful person who hasn't given a great deal of effort to their cause.  Name one successful person that didn't need to maintain persistence to get the desired results.  Name one successful person that didn't have to push through setbacks, challenges and barriers to get the goals they set.  And I would venture to guess that every new level of success brings on new efforts and persistence for the next goal.

If you don't believe me, ask them. Schedule a meeting with your CEO and ask how hard it was to get there.  Have a conversation with an elite athlete and ask them if the training was hard.  Talk to an academy award winning actress and ask them has their journey been hard at times. Have coffee with a successful entrepreneur and ask if starting their business was a piece of cake.  Read the biography of someone you admire and decide if their life was a cakewalk.

If you want something - you must expend the energy. You must give 100% effort. And you must maintain your persistence.  Because guess what? It's hard.

Oh...and Sam's answer to that question: a definite YES!

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As the RADICAL Success Coach, Doreen Rainey helps her clients take charge of their professional and personal life. She is the founder of the Get RADICAL Women's Conference with Jillian Michaels and Niecy Nash. For more information about the 2011 conference, visit the website. Registration is now open!