When I read the word' failure, ' chills run down my spine. I'm horribly afraid of failing at work, in my family, and in my fitness goals. The media and my brain have convinced me that failure is negative and that if I fail, I will never recover. When I visited Athens Health & Fitness, I discovered the positive influence of failure. Failure, in its most accurate form, is just a learning experience. When we hop on a treadmill for the first time, we aren't going to know how to use it automatically. We need to select a program and decide how rigorous of a training session our bodies need, and we need to follow through and do the work. If we fail at using the treadmill the first time or misuse it on our first few visits to the gym, it is a learning experience that will encourage our minds and bodies to grow next time. That's what failure is supposed to be.

I realized I was failing my body when I started recognizing the importance of putting fitness first. Focusing on your health and fitness goals doesn't have to be intensely aggressive; it just has to be a daily choice to put ourselves and our bodies first. As a parent, I'm putting my fitness first to keep up with my daughter and come to work without feeling fatigued. The Athens Health & Fitness trainers ask their clients, including me, "What is your why?" at almost every session. Why do we focus on the health of our bodies? Why do we work out when we're tired or when life is a little busier? You have to find your WHY to see failure as a positive encouragement.

My why is my daughter and my health.

I expect to fail when beginning a new project or adventure. When I'm starting a new workout routine or a weekly email blast, I don't have the skills perfected yet! Of course, I will make mistakes, take a mistake, or do something wrong when figuring out the right way. It's not a failure that will capsize me; instead, it will encourage me to try again and hone in on figuring out how to do it right. I didn't realize the importance of failure. As an adult, I know I have a choice regarding my health. Am I going to choose to work on my fitness daily, or am I going to find myself choosing failure?

I know what I'm going to choose.

What about you?