“And that’s a lifestyle that we never knew…” – Kendrick Lamar

And just like that my cheating days were over! No more “thumb-ersizing” through the gram for inspo, then making up excuses for why the reality of my uber-fabulous life didn’t match the life I truly deserved. My pursuit of wealth and the lack of physical endurance is what made my stomach rumble as I sluggishly walked to the kitchen every morning. I was starving myself and didn’t even know it.

“Because Equinox made me do it, right?”

I said sarcastically, yet slightly optimistic. The night before, I had fallen asleep reading a piece published byBusiness Insider about Equinox: “Equinox Wants It’s Gym Members To Hop Barbed Wire Fences And Run Around Naked After Getting In Shape“. My first thoughts? How Sway!

This quote, “This year, forget about resolving to be better. Now is the time to resolve to be bolder. And be proud of what you have to show for it.” stuck with me and I knew I had to start by recommitting myself to working on the inside—and outside at the same time.

Equinox. The E.

The glorious sanctuary everyone I knew had been raving about for months. I spent the day at the office daydreaming about that fine shrine. Walking through those reflective glass doors and watching the old me disappear was like magic to any believer with the slightest ounce of hope. I now had lifetime access to the most exclusive club at my fingertips without knowing a simple text, “Meet me at the E”, would command so much power in the days to come.

Not only the fact that some of the most affluent, influential and ambitious people are being built in Equinox centers, it was a place of refuge where both your body and mind can be transformed; and I wanted in. It’s where I knew I would belong.

“No commitment, no entry…” – Equinox

Like many young “moguls-in-the-making”, we often isolate ourselves from the world by committing ourselves to work of our minds and depriving our body and spirit of a real cleanse. Naturally, we all need balance and there’s a group of individuals who are prioritizing their overall quality of life in the midst of chaos everyday. The one-percenters. The people who hold the keys to unlock any door—the future you. I mean, think about it. If you had the chance to gain access to one of those keys, would you be any less committed to earning more of an abundance of them? Nope!

 It was time for me to work smarter, and not harder.

I hit up a friend who had been working at Equinox as advisor for a couple months. Over the years I’ve witnessed her attitude about making wellness a conscious lifestyle shift dramatically, which was intriguing and undeniably contagious. I knew she was on to something. Our “boss talks” have slowly graduated from the allure of who’s training who and why to how I would prepare to accept my Goldrush Membership at the finish line.

Yes, me. Equinox’s Goldrush Challenge is the first-of-its-kind and challenges the world of fitness to extreme physical challenges for a very, very unique package. It includes a one-year membership with entry to over 80 clubs globally, personal training sessions with the most renowned gurus, monthly massages, shop credit, exclusive event invites, and even your very own personal locker!

She said, if you focus on how to “Evaluate. Dominate. Regenerate” your mind, body, and spirit, you always end up with lifetime access to Equinox.

That was just the key I needed.

If I don’t get one of those passes this round? So what.

The Equinox environment is suited for those who are serious about making a commitment to elevating every aspect of their lives and I was almost there. Once you adapt the mindset to win, it’s easier to build the confidence you need to commit to anything your heart desires. Do “expensive” gyms get you in the best shape of your life? Probably. But the real work starts within you and that’s what it takes to get behind those doors.

One day.

This post was originally published on The Haute Mess. Photos via (1,2,3,4)