Patience.
Many people started their exercise program to get in a great shape but it didn’t work right away. So they gave up.
Madonna is one of the best shaped women in the world because she never gave up.
Here is the lucky secret: you can outlast the other guys if you try and stick to it. If you stick at stuff that is hard and bores them and you keep showing up, you win.
It still takes 5 and more years to become a success – great shape or anything else. The frustrating part is that you see your tactics fail right away. The good news is that over time, you get the satisfaction of watching yourself succeed right away.
The trap: Show up in the gym, stay there 2 hours, be really aggressive, lift lots of heavy weights, pull some muscle and leave in disgust.
The trap: Use all your money to buy a membership in fancy club and leave no money, time or patience for the hundreds of visits you’ll have to do.
The trap: Sprint all day and run out of energy before the marathon even starts.
The media wants overnight successes (so they have someone to tear down). Ignore them. Ignore people who want to see instant results. Listen instead to your body, to your vision and make the pursuit of the great shape for the long haul. Because that’s how long it’s going to take.