Failure is not necessarily a bad thing. It can make you grow. It can be a positive.

Even the great man, Muhammad Ali, thought the same:

“I never thought of losing, but now that it’ s happened, the only thing is to do it right. That’s my obligation to all the people who believe in me. We all have to take defeats in life.“

One day last year, I was sitting in a cafe with a cappuccino reading Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom and it got me thinking ‘what would I be doing right now if I knew I’d be dead in the morning?’

Now, the question isn’t as morbid as it sounds and neither was the context in which I found myself asking the question. I had to stop and think for a while about what the effect of such a situation would be on my day. I certainly wouldn’t be sitting in front of my computer typing away on a keyboard; nor would I be sitting in front of the TV watching an episode of South Park (both of which I actually did that day). But what would I be doing?

I think I’d be spending a whole lot of that final day with my family and friends just talking and enjoying the time spent with them and the conversation.

I actually took some time later that week to visit my mum and dad and grandparents (something I should do a lot more of) and found it was one of the more enjoyable ways to spend a Sunday. So, why do I find it so hard to schedule these things in my standard day? Why do I put the supposedly important things before the truly important things time and time again? Am I the only one who does this? Surely not!

So, what would you have done differently today if you knew that you wouldn’t have a tomorrow? Take some time to think about that and then ask yourself if your life is really heading in the right direction.

Remember there’s a whole lot more to being fit and healthy than exercising and eating properly.

If it hurts in the gym. It will hurt less outside.

If you are a fighter you want to know that your conditioing will hold up when you fight. You need to know that when the kicks, punches & submissions are flying that you can keep going and going and going. Your only concern is your game.

If you are a soldier you want to know that your fitness will hold up when the bullets are zipping past.

If you are a mother you want to know that you can haul your kids around all day, lug the shopping around and still have enough energy for your day job.

So, put in more than you think you can when you’re training so that when you’re in the real world you don’t have to wonder if you’ll have enough left in the tank.

Some thoughts:

• If your knees hurt, you’re doing it wrong
• If your back hurts, you’re doing it wrong
• If your trainer says that your knees can’t go past your toes, your trainer is an idiot
• If you don’t go deep, you’re missing the point
• If you lift light weights, you will not increase your strength

Organic food. Is it worth it? You decide. Read this for a start.

If you decide it’s worth it then don’t say “I can’t afford it”. What else can you afford? Pay TV, expensive meals at restaurants, cool shoes, alcohol…?

It’s a matter of priorities. We can generally afford what we need but more often than not spend our money on what we want.