Habits Over Motivation
It’s January and you have a list of goals to accomplish for this coming year. (Yay to a new decade!) You’re determined that this year “is your year!!” I fully support this, and I truly DO want you to accomplish your goals; however, I STRONGLY suggest attacking the real problem first — your current habits.
Our daily habits are what make us tick. They define who we hang out with, how we spend our time, and directly affect our decision making. What are some of your daily habits? Do you have a morning routine? Do you eat lunch roughly the same time every day? How about dinner? What about kids?... I mean, our list of daily “To Do’s” can be overwhelming sometimes; but we do them by attacking one issue at a time and continuing our daily routine —> we work, we eat, we sleep, and we repeat. Those things won’t change just because the year changed…
In order to truly elicit change in your life you need to adjust your system and create habits that are easily repeated over time. Falling short on goals or missing a workout does NOT mean you have zero willpower or that you’re a failure; it just means that your system needs upgrading. This year I suggest giving yourself room for true growth by creating healthy habits that will set you up to succeed. You may still miss a workout or overindulge occasionally; but if those are not your normal habits then the occasional mishap won’t hurt your bigger goals.
Personally, I do not enjoy working out and this frequently surprises people. But it’s simply not something that “sparks joy” in my life all the time. I work in a gym and the last thing I want to do after training, teaching and talking to clients is to stay at work longer to train myself – but I do it! Not all the time and, honestly, some months are significantly better than others when it comes to my training. I mean, I can always find other things I’d rather do – always. When it comes to my personal training I cannot simply rely on MOTIVATION or sheer willpower – if I did, I’d never do them. I depend on my habits and the discipline to move.
One trick that I use is to put on my workout shoes. Putting on my shoes means I’m going to do SOMETHING. It may not be the best workout you’ve ever seen or even the most intense; but I WILL DO SOMETHING if I put on my workout shoes. This helps me build a pattern (habit forming) of getting in my workouts weekly. From there, I can start to challenge myself more or build myself a fancy, fun new program (insert taking a new fitness class, signing up with a trainer, or using a fitness tracker to track your workouts).
If you are new to training OR, you’re like me, and it’s “time to get back at it,” then start with small habits. Start with pulling out your yoga mat, lacing up your workout shoes, or putting on that serious sports bra… whatever you decide is your first step – DO THAT. Over and over.
“We are what we repeatedly do; excellence therefore is not an act, but a HABIT.” – Aristotle