Instant gratification is killing us.

If you have a craving, of any nature, you’re promised it can be satisfied immediately. From sugar to sex, it’s all for sale, it’s easily accessible – and it’s killing us.

We have become entitled. There are so many things instantly available to us. It’s part of our ‘evolved and improved state.’ This is no more evident than where the search for information is involved. Any question you have is answerable in a matter of seconds – and it’s free. It’s become our right to have easily accessible information on any topic of our choosing.

But it’s regressed further than that. Now we’re promised results instantaneously. “Get the job/body/partner you want by following these three easy steps.” Buy this gym membership, this magazine, this easy to make health shake.

What is the underlying message of all these promises? Getting in shape is easy.

Owning a gym you get to see the problems really close up. The gym membership is sold as the instant solution to an improved body. At Roark I feel like we’re really open about what we expect of our members, and what we promote at our gym, yet still we’ve had people come through our doors expecting it to be easy. We’ve had people leave because they “didn’t see results.”

Quite honestly, that’s a load of shit. I don’t say that because Roark is amazing, I say that because if you are prepared to wholeheartedly commit to just about any gym programme you will see results. But it’s infinitely easier to blame something else rather than accepting it’s actually too difficult for you to keep trying.

For anyone who is out of shape and who wants to get healthier and look better, here’s the truth: you won’t see changes for a while. In fact, you’ll probably feel worse initially. For three weeks you’ll be stiff, sore and tired. It will be hard to motivate yourself to go back to the gym. You’ll want to eat junk instead of exercising. You’ll want to sleep more.

There is no “moment.” There is no epiphany or romantic denouemont. It’s a slog. You have to commit to it every day. Every meal. Every minute you’re at the gym.

But that’s the beauty of it! In a world where the norm is laziness induced by instant gratification, don’t you want to be different? Don’t you want to be the one who pushes back – whose behavior (and body) speaks the truth in a world full of false promises?

We want our gym to be a commercial success, of course. We will not, however, lie to anyone who reads our site or who walks through our doors. Everyone is capable of getting fitter and stronger, but it takes time and effort. It takes hard work. People don’t like buying that sales pitch these days, but honestly, it’s the only one we’re selling.

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