Sometimes I just don’t feel like it. I don’t want to go to the gym. I don’t want to do the work I know I need to.
As a guy who has much more in common with Winnie The Pooh than he does Tigger, sometimes I just don’t feel like I want to go to the gym or get out and be social.
I just start feeling like Pooh had it right when he said “sometimes nothing is the best kind of something.”
But then I remember that I have goals I want to achieve, and I immediately get fired up and go smash out an intense hour of exercise at the gym or I go sit at my laptop and bang out 1000 words of pure content gold.
I wish. That’s probably what social media would have you believe. But it just doesn’t happen that way. You can’t be fired up all the time unless you’re mainlining caffeine, pre-workout or have a mild, very much under control, meth problem.
You can’t be fired up all the time unless you’re mainlining caffeine, pre-workout or have a mild, very much under control, definitely not a problem, daily meth habit.
One of the best things I found to help me get closer to my goals (does it matter what they are? Nope, could be anything. But if you see me riding a unicycle just know I ticked one of them off)... is scheduling time in for them like it’s my job.
Unless you live in Bali and do your work “on the line" (and one day I will find out what they all actually do), you probably have set work hours right? Your boss won’t be too happy if you just decide to delay work for a few hours because it suits you better or you don’t feel like it…so you show up to work on time and you force yourself to get started.
So now I schedule my workday religiously. I put my meetings in my calendar. I put my coaching hours. I put my contact hours with online clients. I put in time for writing, learning Italian and most importantly - I schedule time for my own training. It is a bit of a sad indictment on the industry that you could be the most knowledgeable trainer and get your clients amazing results…but if you don’t somewhat look the part yourself, good luck getting clients.
Is this why I train? No. I believe any program will get someone results if they are consistent in their training and they watch what they put in their mouth. Obviously mine is the best but I don’t (and can’t haha) rely on my image to attract clients.
Train for yourself. Set a schedule (and use Google for help).
I train because I am grumpy when I don’t. I feel as though I’m not myself and I like feeling athletic, strong and capable. I don’t like it when I don’t.
So scheduling time for this becomes important as it is necessary for not just my physical wellbeing, but it keeps me sane. Just ask anyone who is stuck with me when I’m not able to train. Now when that calendar beeps at me and says it’s time to go train (shoutout to Google calendars and the “goals” function- trust me check it out), I just go do it.
I wouldn’t ignore an alert that told me I had a meeting, so I allocate the same importance to my training, and trust that Google will schedule it for me around my available hours and preferences.
Motivation is always going to fade, as priorities change and maybe our goals also change as we progress and develop as humans.
I’m willing to bet that this time of year in certain functional fitness affiliates there are a bunch of highly motivated people who have just watched the best in the sport compete at the CrossFit Games. They know the Open is coming up in a few weeks and they want to hit the gym every day, learn all the skills they’re lacking and crush it.
Guess what? It’s hard to stay motivated 52 weeks a year. Winter rolls around and you don’t have to be shirtless every day, and the open comes and goes and you think you have next week to nail down those double unders…But if you can put in place the discipline that you just go to the gym when your little digital friend tells you…that’s an easy habit to keep.
Most people won’t admit it, but they like to be told what to do. It’s the reason why there aren’t more entrepreneurs out there, and why group fitness classes are so popular.
Decision fatigue is a real thing. You know why Mark Zuckerberg (maybe a bad example as it is as yet undetermined whether he is human or one of the lizard people overlords) is always photographed wearing the same outfit? Because he has to make so many decisions each day that removing another one like choosing what to wear in the morning makes sense for him.
Scheduling in your training time or whatever your goal is, or letting your calendar do it for you (what is this, the Jetsons? Shoutouts to the 90s kids who know what the Jetsons is) just removes one more variable stopping you from getting towards your goals. Life is hard enough and it gets in the way of what you want to do sometimes, so letting someone else decide for you when you work towards your goals means it is a priority.
You’re too busy to train right? Too tired? Too much other stuff on?
Try saying “This isn’t a priority for me right now” instead of saying “I don’t have time” and see how you feel inside. I’ll give you a hint….it feels pretty shit to acknowledge that your health and fitness isn’t a priority for you when it should be.
Try saying “This isn’t a priority for me right now” instead of saying “I don’t have time” and see how you feel inside
Not feeling it or need a little bit more accountability than a calendar you can snooze and ignore?
Get a training buddy, get a personal trainer, get an online coach who will be on your ass about getting your sessions done. Not someone who takes your money and doesn’t care whether you attend or not (shoutout to all the globo-gyms), but someone who is actually invested in you making progress.
Agree? Disagree? My contact details aren’t secret so hit me up if you think I’m wrong. Or feel free to send me Dm’s telling me how much you agree with me. Give me that warm fuzzy glow of validation.
Need a hand and have no-one to train with or genuinely can’t afford any of the above options? Message me and I will help you out. #teamgiveashit