Just stay your course! Staying motivated when you barely see progress from day to day is difficult but when you keep working and stay persistent, compare yourself now to where you were a few months back, you’lll realise that it’s paying off. Setbacks may come your way, but work through these and believe in your purpose.

For myself, I can mention a number of instances where the philosophy of persistence has saved me. I trained a year and half before I could get my first boxing match, after being set back by a broken hand, a month long antibioitic-resistent skin infection, and 4 months of not training while bailing out my dad’s bad business. I worked 6 years on my old job that I did not like, taking almost no holidays, to leave honorably on a high, and with enough savings to start afresh. I went through 2 years of braces a second time, to prepare for jaw surgery to correct my crossbite. I have spent many years correcting negative thinking patterns, a couple of years on and off psychotherapy, CBT and psychological counselling for social phobia and other complex issues, and have almost reached comfortable social functioning (though I aim to master it).

I have spent 2-3years on and off, and the last 6 months working consistently on correcting a decade of functional scoliosis and low back pain through learning as much as I can through a completing a PT course, finding a very skilled physio, writing a complex corrective program, and performing it regularly, with noticable though slow progress.

All the work has been worthwhile and yielded results over time. I know that working to correct any present difficulties will lead to a better life in future.

The hardest thing about learning new things and making new habits is perhaps breaking old bad habits first that get in the way. You have to work on those things concurrently. Don’t overwhelm yourself with expectation; when you start from negative, getting to zero is a great achievement! Also, the best person to count on is you, you know yourself better than anyone – HEAL THYSELF.

Obviously the best thing is to get everything right early in life, and have the gift of good luck, but for the rest of us… believe in the changes you are making, don’t let the setbacks phase you, be determined to reach your goal, work consistently and keep persistent!