Important factors to consider when pursuing a physique goal

I would say one of the tougher parts of helping people with their physique goals is managing their expectations. So in effort to help everyone trying to improve upon their physique, here are a few things you need to keep in mind moving forward:
Commitment – You have to be prepared to make a long-term commitment to reach your goal(s). Depending on your body and goal(s), it may take months, even years to achieve what you’re striving for. Therefore, you will need to ensure you’re prepared to follow your diet and training program every day. Sure there will be off-plan meals and circumstances will arise where you reasonably may not be able to stick to your plan, but if you want to reach your goal(s) then you have to be on top of your plan the rest of the time.
Hard Work – Building muscle, losing fat, increasing strength or improving endurance are not easy to achieve. So be prepared to push yourself. In fact, you have to push yourself. Your body isn’t going to change unless you give it a reason to. So be prepare to work hard for your goal(s) because you have to.
Sacrifices – In order to change you have to make changes. This means giving up some of your old ways, which not only includes giving up certain foods, but even changing the way you workout (weight training and cardio). This can be a tough pill to swallow for some people. Even more so then giving up certain foods. Regardless, if you’re set in your ways then you’re not going to change (literally and figuratively).
Plateaus – You will encounter these in your diet and training program. So expect it because all diet and training programs lead to plateaus, but that’s fine (assuming that you didn’t over diet and/or train). It means that your body has adapted to your program, which is progress. Essentially, you’ve conquered a specific phase of development and it’s time to move on to a new challenge/phase.
Results – You knew this one was coming. Results come in time and everyone progresses at a different rate. Therefore, some will progress faster than others. So you can’t compare your results to someone else’s. Everyone is on their own personal journey, which makes yours unique. So own it and be proud of the results you do achieve because you made them.