Business Insight Zone

My kids are fascinated by The Biggest Loser.

I don’t blame them: it’s amazing to see the contestants transform their lives, especially when they’ve struggled with weight problems for many years. The before and after photos can be stunning.

But I’m even more impressed by the folks following along at home.

The contestants on the show are housed, fed, and exercised on a comfortable ranch. They’re led through their workouts under the expert (and ferocious) coaching of Bob and Jillian. They have constant access to the best nutrition and expert medical care. And for as long as they can stay on the show (one contestant is voted out each week), they can make weight loss their full-time job. I’m impressed by their commitment and their results, but the deck is still stacked in their favor.

By contrast, imagine a single mom doing the same thing at home, working out along with a fitness video before she gets her kids up and takes them to school. Or a sales manager hitting the gym before dawn so he can put in 60-hour weeks at the office and still be home for dinner with his family. Imagine folks as busy as yourself, but carrying 100 extra pounds and determined to do something about it. That’s the real challenge.

(This, by the way, is why it’s a stroke of genius that The Biggest Loser has a separate league just for people following along at home.)

You may have noticed that times are tough. There was some surprise in the markets this morning when new retail numbers came out, apparently confirming that the recession will go on for a while longer. Around the business world, belts are as tight as I’ve ever heard of. Layoffs are common. Et cetera.

Yet it is amid exactly this mix of conditions that every one of us can take on the challenge of doing what seems impossible: losing 100 pounds, turning around a department, bringing something revolutionary to market.

We won’t have the luxury of retreating to a ranch in the hills to do it. We won’t have hard-ass trainers like Bob and Jillian to drive us. We’ll have to do it for ourselves.

Are you up for it? Are you ready to impress the world?

Category: Economics, The working life