Let's face it, from time to time we all become discouraged by our fitness progress. The weight isn't coming off as fast as we expected. We haven't been in to the gym for almost an entire week. We 'caved' and had two donuts at the office this morning. We've all been there!

We have some good news for everyone who is struggling with their fitness goals: It's okay! We all make mistakes from time to time. What's important is that we don't give up. Consider the story of this 'failure' and how he eventually turned out:

In 1831 he failed in business.

In 1832 he was defeated for the state legislature.

In 1833 he failed again in business.

In 1834 he was elected to the state legislature.

In 1835 his sweetheart died.

In 1836 he had a nervous breakdown.

In 1838 he was defeated for Speaker.

In 1840 he was defeated for Elector.

In 1843 he was defeated for Congress.

In 1846 he was elected for one term to Congress.

In 1848 he was defeated again for Congress.

In 1855 he was defeated for the Senate.

In 1856 he was defeated for Vice President.

In 1858 he was defeated again for the Senate.

In 1860 he (finally) was elected President of the United States.....and these are just a few of the rough spots in the life of Abraham Lincoln. (Source: William S. Banowsky)

There's an old saying: "Failure is the line of least persistence." Some folks call it "stick-to-it-iv-ness." It generally boils down to a healthy combination of faith and hard work, and it usually means success.

So while we might feel down or depressed about our fitness mistakes, let's not forget that everyone (even the great Abraham Lincoln) experiences failure from time to time. Failing at something does not mean that we are a failure. It just means that we need to try again.

So, are you ready to keep trying?

Tracie Johanson is the founder of Pick Up The Pace, a 30-minute exercise studio for women focusing on fitness, health and nutrition for maximum weight loss. Please visit http://www.letspickupthepace.com/ for more information.

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