Everything has its price, and nothing may be obtained without paying this price – Napoleon Hill

Ain’t that the truth.

The same can be said of injury rehabilitation or fitness results or even just  basic good health.

Everything has a cost.

Be it invested time. Be it traded opportunity. Be it precious beads of sweat. Or even cold, hard cash.

There is always some form of transaction taking place. Some form of exchange.

With someone else, or even with yourself.

You will never get something for nothing.

Now that that’s out of the way, the better question to ask is whether you’re willing to pay that price.

Are you willing to invest?

Are you willing to put in the time?

Are you willing to give something up, sacrifice something that you currently have for something else that you could have?

Are you willing to put money down, to pay for coaching, equipment or experience?

It’s OK if you’re not. Not everyone is ready to take that leap yet. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

But if you’re willing to take that big first step, if you’re willing to overcome the tremendous inertia of the status quo, just remember, it doesn’t have to be all out. You don’t have to go all in.

Moving forward towards your goals is still moving forward, even if it’s not at mach speed. And moving forward means you’re not sliding back or even standing still.

Small progress is still progress. Small change is still change. And that’s a powerful thing.

If you’ve got back pain or you’re just plain out of shape, doing just a few appropriate exercises daily is a good start. You don’t have to start with heavy lifting for an hour or two every day at the gym. But you will have to find movement or activity that you enjoy, that you can sustain, that pulls you. And do it consistently over time.

That is the cost. That is the investment.

If you’re looking to lose some excess weight, shifting your eating towards more veggies and fruits instead of processed pre-packaged snacks is a good start. You don’t have to jump on any complicated or restrictive paleo or low carb or low fat diet. You don’t have to “diet” at all, but you will have to generally consume less. And do it consistently over time.

That is the cost. That is the investment.

Remember, life doesn’t always require a lump sum transaction.

It’s often full of payment plans. Most of which can work in your favour.