You're Much More Self-Disciplined Than You Think
That's not just a kind platitude. I'll prove it to you.
Whether it’s trying to learn a new skill, getting a fitness or meditation habit going, or simply wanting to waste a little less time on things that don’t serve us, the belief that we’re not disciplined enough to do “the thing” - whatever it is - is a common reason why we fall out of healthy habits we try to secure.
It doesn’t need to be that way.
When’s the last time you showed up for work, even though you didn’t feel motivated to do so?
Was it today? Yesterday? Every day? Why did you show up?
Let’s say you’re trying to get a fitness habit started. Ok. The decision has now been made. Congratulations! That’s a decision that doesn’t need to be made again. You don’t need to deliberate over that decision any more than you wrestle with the “decision” to show up for that Tuesday meeting you wish you had the option to skip. There are reasons why you prioritize it in your day, and you just show up.
The choice to hit the gym needs to be imprinted in your life with the same sense of non-negotiable urgency as deciding to show up for your job.
Most of us don't want to show up for work every single day, but we DO IT because we know that the consequences of NOT showing up are unacceptable. We won't have money to pay our bills, won't have a roof over our head, won't be able to feed ourselves and so on. As a result, when we set that alarm each day to get up for work, how we FEEL about showing up to work that day really doesn't matter. We do it because we have already established that it's non-negotiable.
We need to treat our efforts at personal well-being with the same urgency.
I KNOW that if I don't consistently show up for my workouts, I'm going to gain body fat, I'm going to lose strength and mobility, I'm going to feel less capable, less self-pride, and see my physical and mental health suffer in all kinds of other ways. That result is completely unacceptable to me, so showing up to workout on days when I have a workout in the schedule is NOT a choice. It's just something that HAS to happen because it's a non-negotiable priority in my life.
So that's one trick with the mental framing of this. Here's one more:
Let’s say you plan to workout after work each day. Before you wrap up your work day and get ready to transition to the next portion of your day, start working on a little mantra in your head:
"When I leave here, I'm heading to the gym (or home). I'm IMMEDIATELY getting changed, and I'm IMMEDIATELY starting my workout. I'm not even going to look at that couch. This is what's happening."
This sort of statement to self can be especially valuable for people working out at home. The allure of the couch is real. We all tell ourselves that we're "just going to sit down for 20 minutes and relax for a bit, and then we're totally going to workout."
It doesn't work. It's a quicksand pit.
Decide for yourself that this stuff is non-negotiable, and set yourself up in such a way that you're equipped to act on that non-negotiable decision in much the same way as you would other non-negotiable responsibilities in your life.
Keep up the hard work. It’s worth it.