September 19th is my 26th birthday, so here are 26 things I've learnt from growing Kairos Online and coaching many different people.

1. Achieving your goals will take longer than you think, but that's okay. As you pursue this, the lessons that come with it flow into other areas of your life.

2. "I f*cked up". Think about it; as long as you keep going, you can never f*ck up. Because you will eventually reach your goal, it's impossible not to. How long it takes becomes irrelevant once you've managed to get there. The only way you can f*ck up is by stopping.

3. There's no such thing as "good" or "bad" foods, just foods that are more nutritious than others.

4. Don't use being a "perfectionist" to justify doing nothing at all. Happens too often.

5. Action is what sparks motivation. Not the other way around. Relying on motivation is BS. Action leads to results. Results lead to motivation. Motivation leads to action. It's a beautiful cycle.

6. Don't eat like an a**hole. Don't punish yourself when you do.

7. Many people only half-heartedly approach their fitness goals because they don't believe they can achieve them. Although half-heartedness doesn't get results, a lack of results does provide a solid excuse for when they decide to give up again, e.g., “I'm the exception.”

Many people get trapped in this cycle. Be honest with yourself, whether you believe you can or can't; you're right. Cliché? Yes, but it's 100% true.

8. Relying on motivation and willpower is the best way to set yourself up for failure. Achieving long-term goals requires turning what you need to do into non-negotiable habits. It may feel tough to be consistent at first, but stick with it & eventually, it becomes second nature—a part of your new identity.

9. Some days, you're knackered, and there's no explainable reason. Accept it and go with it.

10. Some days, you bounce off the walls without an explainable reason. Accept it and go with it.

11. If you swear you're doing everything right, but nothing is working - it's because you're not doing everything right.

12. Something my grandmother always says in Portuguese, translated as - "Don't leave for tomorrow what can be done today", or as I like to similarly say, "If it can be done in 3 minutes or less,” Both have always stuck.

13. Treat yourself like you treat your best friend.

14. Three years from now, you won't care what you weigh today.

15. Fat shaming helps no one. Don't do it.

16. Pandering also helps no one. Not telling someone the truth to protect their feelings only helps in the short term. However, it could be detrimental to them in the long term.

17. You're more likely to see the value and stick to something you're paying for. However, the perceived value lowers significantly when it becomes free or massively discounted, and your will to continue declines. Want to commit to something? Put money towards it, not just a bit of change.

18. A calorie deficit is the only way to lose fat.

19. Resistance training with a progressive overload, a.k.a getting stronger, is one of the best things you can do for your confidence and quality of life.

20. A common issue people have isn't weight loss. Most people can lose weight with any method, no matter how bad, e.g. juice cleanses or detoxes. The problem most people have is maintenance and keeping off the weight they've lost.

21. You can't help everyone.

22. Complaining and blaming others for not reaching your health/fitness-related goals changes nothing. Work with what you have. The choice is yours.

23. Many people like the thought of transforming for the better, although not everyone is ready. The keyword is "ready". Just because they're not necessarily ready now, it doesn't mean they won't be down the line.

24. Showing someone you believe in them is motivational. However, getting someone to believe in themselves is where the real change happens. Unstoppable almost.

25. Don't get too high when things are going well, don't get too low when they're not. Embrace every season. They're all important.

26. If you've always been in your comfort zone, leave it. You can't grow if you've never left home/pushed yourself to try something completely different. Outside your comfort zone is where the best growth happens.

I've also made a free workout plan available to download so you can celebrate with me a little. You can access it by clicking here.

Hope it helps and speak soon,
Leo