Fit For Life: What if I’m The Bad Guy?

Saturday, April 09, 2016
Matt Espeut, GoLocalPDX Health +Lifestyle Contributor

Last week someone told me a couple of people said "I'm not a fan of Matt" - after they attended my orientation.  Another woman told me "I wasn't crazy about you" - as she signed a one-year contract to my Fit Body Boot Camp. "Take me off your list, I don't want your emails anymore" was a reply I received from someone that had previously signed up for my mailing list. Does this bother me? Hell no! It fuels me! Why you ask? Because for every one of those comments, I get 100 telling me how joining my facility, and working with my team has changed their lives. I am a realistic person, and I know you can’t please everyone, and not everyone is going to like you regardless of how hard you try. I know deep down I am not a bad person. I give thousands of dollars a year to charity; I give hours of my time as a volunteer strength coach to an inner city football team; I go into middle schools and talk to children about fitness, and nutrition; and my mission is to help thousands of people change their lives, look, feel, and move better, have more self esteem, become healthier, and live more of a productive life. Not the criteria of a "bad guy", right? But - a lot of people don't like my approach because I tell it like it is, and the truth can hurt. If you don't like what I say, or how I say it, then I might be hitting a nerve – and what I’m saying applies - to you.

Fix it.

When I am at a conference and a speaker tells the audience what people do wrong, and it applies to me, I don't hate the speaker. I am self aware of the things I do wrong, and come home and fix it.  If you are out of shape, feel terrible about yourself, are sick, or in pain all the time, and you come into my facility, or read one of my articles for help, I start by telling you it’s your responsibility to apply some effort, and to take accountability for your actions. The only way to improve your situation is to start with you, and your wanting to be better. I then tell you that you have to do the work, and it needs to start with you making some changes in your life. The first being mindset. You need to want to be healthier more than you want to eat that doughnut, or drink the can of soda. Then you need to be willing to do the work, and follow my plan. Because my plan works, and yours didn’t, otherwise you wouldn’t be talking to me. I am here for you and can provide all you need to succeed. Don't get mad at me when I don't accept your excuses of why you "can't" do something. Because excuses and procrastination got you to where you are in the first place. And, I know how to fix it, and doing something 1/2 way isn’t going to cut it.

You can do it. And, I do care.

Yes, you can do it – and you are worth the effort. Don’t take me the wrong way. I care. I care, and will go out of my way for any individual that seeks my help, but it’ll be tough love. I won’t baby you, and coddle your emotions. I won’t accept anything less than your best effort, because I know that when people give their best effort, success follows, and you are no different than anyone else. Everyone at my Fit Body Boot Camp, from clients to coaches are required to carry a positive mindset here. You can’t say “I can’t” or get down on yourself. If that happens, you are immediately corrected, and we help you reprogram to an “I can do it” attitude. We thrive on encouragement here. If you only want to be told what you want to hear, then I am not the guy for you. If you want to know what you need to do to improve your current health and fitness situation, and want guaranteed results, then do give me a call. I would rather be appreciated and respected for my knowledge than liked. Yes, I may come across as a little harsh, and I don’t have much of a filter sometimes with my words, but the hundreds of people that I have helped lose thousands of pounds will tell you that it’s worth it. Compare it to eating broccoli. The first time might not have been the best experience, but after awhile you realize and appreciate the benefits. After you experience the positive changes you will make by working with me and my team, you’re going to realize that deep down the “bad guy” isn’t all that bad.

Matt Espeut, GoLocal's Health & Lifestyle Contributor has been a personal trainer and health & fitnesss consultant for over 25 years.