Now, with that in mind, there is a type of mindset that usually helps to reach your goals.  The first thing that helped me was to realize that any change in my life usually was a gradual transition.  I realized that I didn't have to get in shape in a certain time, like for a wedding or the beach, but instead needed to get in shape in order to live the way I wanted to, and that it would take time and work.

So the next question in my head was:  “How hard is it going to be to change?”  The answer I came up with was this: Anything that is enjoyable is usually very easy to do and time seems to just fly by.  So, all I had to do was to find a way to enjoy the gym.    

Holy smokes!  I can do that!

One of the things I started to do was to stretch my muscles (not even touching a weight yet) for the first two weeks and focus on everything that was good in my life.  For example:  The way I feel when I’m at the beach making memories with friends, being on an awesome vacation, etc.  After those 2 weeks passed, I realized that like anything in life you have to be able to learn new things.  Just by showing up to the gym I started to learn, which really helped me realize that my goals were possible.   

So for now, I leave you with a quote from Arnold: http://mobile.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/a/arnoldschw146560.html

"For me life is continuously being hungry.  The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up to archive, to conquer"