This week I’d like to introduce you to a friend of mine named Aaron Ferguson. Two years ago, Aaron’s life was not working out the way he had hoped. You see, he suffered from a condition called spondylolysis which was a defect in his lower spine.
Over time, Aaron’s condition had worsened to the point where he was in constant pain. He was also depressed, bitter and angry at the world around him.
He consulted a number of doctors and specialists and was told that his best option was to have a spinal fusion which involved having titanium screws inserted into his spine to hold his vertebrae together. The thought of facing major surgery scared Aaron, but he decided that it was better than doing nothing so he put his name down on the waiting list.
After 15 long months of waiting for his operation, Aaron received a phone call from the hospital advising him that the date for his operation had been pushed back another 6 months.
It was then that Aaron made a decision that would change his life forever. He decided to take responsibility for his own future and working with his doctor, he began to exercise gently in the hope that it might help stabilize his condition. The exercise did help and Aaron gradually began to pull himself out of his slump.
One day, Aaron heard about a competition being run by the EAS health company. The competition was called ‘Body For Life’ and involved following a training and diet program for 12 weeks and submitting a ‘before’ and ‘after’ photo accompanied by an essay. The prize on offer in the 2005 competition was $1 Million Dollars.
Aaron saw the competition as a great way to focus on improving his fitness so he decided to take up the challenge and give it everything he had.
Twelve weeks later, Aaron had transformed his body beyond recognition. Here are Aaron’s before and after photos.
A few months later, Aaron found out that he had made it into the final of the international Body For Life competition. He was flown to Denver where a special dinner had been organized to announce the winner of the $1 million dollar prize.
The packed roon was silent as the MC opened the envelope and announced that the 2005 Body For Life champion was…Aaron Ferguson!
I met Aaron in 2005 and had the opportunity to sit down with him and ask him about his incredible success. He told me that the two major factors that contributed to his amazing transformation were:
(1) Focus
(2) Intensity
Focus: Aaron made the challenge his major focus for 12 weeks. He blocked out all distractions and concentrated on achieving the best possible transformation.
Intensity: Aaron’s second key to success was intensity. When he went to the gym, he didn’t stop and chat between every set like most people do. He worked at a high intensity and kept his momentum going to get the job done.
Today Aaron is enjoying his success as well as the joy of good health and the new perspective he has developed of himself and the world around him.
This week’s action steps:
(1) Whatever your most important life goal is at the moment, make the decision to commit yourself to making your dream a reality.
(2) Focus on the outcome you want to achieve and block out all distractions and thoughts of failure.
(3) When you work on your goal, work at a high intensity and build momentum to get the job done.
Note: Please consult your physician before beginning any new diet or exercise routine.
Until next time,
Dare To Dream!
Anthony
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