Last week you were introduced to the first obstacle that gets in the way of achieving your health & fitness goals (check out Part 1 HERE). As a quick refresher, the answer is “Getting (re)started”. Whether this is your first time tackling fitness or 5th attempt, as simple as it sounds, getting started is a big obstacle to overcome. Which is why it’s important to set yourself up for success so that you can increase your chances of finding the right fitness path the first time around (seriously, if you haven’t done so, read Part 1 NOW).
Which brings us to the second biggest obstacle that you need to overcome. As a natural progression, this obstacle comes after the first obstacle of getting started. And, although it’s going to be equally as obvious, do not underestimate the importance of its meaning.
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Obstacle #2: Keep Going
There are many programs out there that would lead you to believe that you only need to workout for 6 weeks, 8 weeks, or 12 weeks to get in shape. Maybe you’ve tried some of these yourself. Or maybe you have at least seen them on a late-night informercial.
As great as it would be to only have to workout for 12 weeks and be set for life, contrary to what the marketers say, it just ain’t that easy. After all, we are perpetual motion machines. Which means our bodies NEED and CRAVE movement. And, without that movement, the body will slowly whither up and die.
With that said, keeping going can be simple if you have the right system in place. To help you out with this area, here is an easy 3 step process that you can use to make sure your workouts stick for good:
#1) Schedule your workouts for the next 30 days
Many people treat their workouts on a “I’ll get to them if I get to them” basis. In other words, you may have the intention (do you remember what intentions got you in the last article?) of going to workout, but you don’t have your workout scheduled, per se.
This is why you should sit down TODAY and schedule out your workouts for the next 30 days. This is a strategy we use at Thriveology. On the 15th of every month, we send out an email to all of our Members reminding them to schedule all of their workout for the following month. This way they are 45 days ahead of schedule.
This works because, as creatures of habit, we are much more likely to do something that is actively on our schedule than something that is floating in the back of our minds (as most of our intentions tend to do). So, sit down and do this NOW so you can increase your chances of sticking with your program.
#2) Treat your workouts as Non-negotiable!
Once you have your workouts on your schedule, the next step is to treat them like any other appointment. You see, most people treat their workouts as optional. Meaning, they might plan to go workout after work, but, if something better pops up, then the workout gets scrapped for today and pushed to tomorrow (and, guess what…tomorrow never comes).
On the contrary, when you set a doctor’s appointment or lunch appointment, do you just blow it off when the time comes? Or, do you schedule things AROUND that appointment because you have set that time aside for that appointment? This is certainly a mind shift that can be tough to make. However, learning to schedule around your workouts (which should be on your schedule) and making them non-negotiable is going to be the best strategy for long-term success.
#3) Show up
Which leads us to the final step in this process, and that’s to SHOW UP! Again, this seems so simple. But working out is simple. The problem is, it’s not easy. So, we have to take the simple and make it a system in order for to make it work.
Of course, there are going to be days where you just don’t feel like working out or just don’t have the energy. Everybody has those days. Even the most ardent of exercisers among us. However, it’s on those days that you have the opportunity to either build your workout willpower or deplete it. Because when you choose to NOT show up, you’re telling yourself that it’s okay to skip out on your obligations (in this case, you’re reaffirming in your subconscious that your fitness is still a second-tier priority).
Instead of skipping, implement the 10-minute rule. The next time you feel the urge to skip your workout because you’re tired or you’ve had a bad day or you just don’t have the energy, tell yourself you’re doing to show up and do the first 10 minutes of your workout. Then, if after the first 10 minutes you still aren’t feeling it, give yourself permission to stop for the day.
Only in this scenario did you at least give yourself a chance to feel better about your workout. You can at least say you tried (of course, you should also remember what Master Yoda has to say about trying, “do, or do not. There is no “try”). Conversely, if you don’t show up at all, then you’ve broken your routine and let yourself down in the process.
While this system may seem simple, it’s the simplicity of it that works so well. Since we tend to make things more complex than they need to be, sometimes it makes sense to break things down into a much simpler form. So, schedule your workouts, treat them as non-negotiable, and show up. If you do these three things after starting your journey correctly, then you’ll be well on your way to becoming the best version of yourself possible.
