Could You Give Up “CANDY” For A Year?

Could You Give Up “CANDY” For A Year?
By Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS

Could you give up candy for a year?
Or how about coffee? Or caffeine? Or wine? Or chocolate….

Ewww, that chocolate thing. Not sure I could do that or not.

I need to brag a bit about my 12-year old son Luke who just gave up CANDY for one entire year. 365 days. NO CANDY. NO SODA. Seriously.

As a kid, that is tough. Heck, as an adult, that would be tough.

And Luke did it. From April 1, 2014 to April 1, 2015 (no joke!).

That included Halloween. Birthday parties. A trip to Europe (man, the chocolate in Austria was delicious!). And any other day that his friends or brother or sister ate candy in front of him.

And it was all on his own volition. His choice.

You see, on April 1, 2014, my wife Melanie and he were in a discussion about a friend of his who had given up soda for a year. And that young man completed it.

So Luke said to his Mom, “Mom, what will you give me if I give up candy & soda for a year?”

Melanie, with a slight grin and confidence that he couldn’t do it, said “$500! Half goes in the bank or we invest it and you can spend the other half. And you will also feel a lot better!”

And that was all it took.

I’m not sure he did it for the “health” reasons or the “money” reasons, but it really doesn’t matter. He did it. ONE straight year without ANY candy or soda.

And I’m so proud of him.

To think about the commitment, sacrifice, and discipline it took to accomplish that is impressive. Heck, to do anything for a year straight is impressive.

Or to NOT do something for a year is impressive.

My ACTION Step to You:

1. Is there any habit in your life that you would like to see if you could give up or eliminate? Maybe it’s for one week. Maybe a month or 3 months. Or maybe even a full year.

Maybe it’s caffeine. Or nicotine. Or alcohol. Or fast-food. Or TV.

Hey, I’m not saying chocolate or coffee is bad in moderation. Or a glass of wine a week is bad for you.

But sometimes you just want to see if you could make a serious commitment and accomplish it.

Search your heart. Put something on it. And then do it.

Thanks Luke. You showed great resolve and mental toughness in not giving in when you really wanted to.

Now take that $250.00 and go invest it!

Much love… much sacrifice… and much less “candy.”

Todd

Todd Durkin, MA, CSCS, is an internationally-recognized performance trainer, bodyworker, speaker, author, and owner of award-winning gym Fitness Quest 10 in San Diego, CA (one of the Top 10 Gyms in the U.S.). His outstanding team of 38 professionals deliver extraordinary service in personal training, sports performance training, massage/bodywork, Pilates, yoga, physical therapy and chiropractic. Todd is the Lead Training Advisor for Under Armour, regular contributor to Men’s Health, and author of The IMPACT! Body Plan.

Todd Durkin created a “DOSE of DURKIN” to motivate and inspire people through weekly text messages every Monday morning that infuse video, audio, or just plain text messages. They are guaranteed to get your mind right and fire-you up. Check out DoseOfDurkin.comto OPT-IN and start receiving your FREE messages.

Todd is also the President/CEO of Todd Durkin Enterprises where he conducts motivational keynotes/presentations, educational & leadership workshops, he operates a Mastermind Group for dedicated fitness entrepreneurs, and he presents internationally on health, fitness, peak performance, and success in life.

You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram at @ToddDurkin, his FB Fan page atToddDurkinFQ10, or sign up for his monthly motivational newsletter atwww.ToddDurkin.com. You can get more information on his facility atwww.FitnessQuest10.com or www.ToddDurkin.com.

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