The most profound words that were ever spoken, of course, came from my wife.  Somehow, all wives are blessed with infinite wisdom and grace. It’s funny how that works.  But on a night shortly after we both committed to losing some unwanted L-B’s (aka pounds), she spit me with some truth more powerful than a high and tight Kenny Powers fastball.  “This isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle.”

This seems so simple but context would probably offer some insight on what made it so powerful to me.  We were on our third or fourth night in a row by now eating something super healthy for dinner and getting back in a good workout routine.  So this means one thing that almost all former athletes can sympathize with, I’m f****** starving.

I’m empty stomached for what feels like 24 hours a day. I’m waking up hungry, I’m hungry at 9:30am after breakfast, I’m hungry after lunch, I’m hungry after I eat the 96th salad of the week, and hungry when I go to bed.  So what does this all mean? Give me a quarter pounder meal from McDonald’s, hold the cheese and the pickles (because that would make it gross…), and add another hamburger on the side.

The head came to a point that night and I whined like a 7th grader running their down and backs at half speed in a gym with no humidity and thermostat set at 72 degrees.  Instead of laughing at me and telling me that Ashley I. from the Bachelorette is not as bad a crier as me.

She looked at me and just said, “This isn’t a diet, it’s a lifestyle.”

This sentence has stuck with me ever since.  When I don’t want to work out in the morning, I remember, this is not just a onetime thing. I remember that the journey is the goal.  One big step does not get you to the end, and that’s because there is no end.  The meaning of that sentence is that we are always evolving, always trying to improve, always trying to get to be the best we can be.

This mindset is an essential key to personal engagement.  This is FEED all at once. This focus on constant improvement is what will help you meet your goals.  The lifestyle mentality will make your energy level rise to serve your personal mission and core values.  It will bring the enthusiasm to get you excited about what you’re doing.  It will drive the deep thought to make you innovative, creative, introspective, and respectful of the future. When you face struggle, remember, engagement is not a diet, it’s a lifestyle.