The first step is always the hardest.
I love how I feel when I work out, but I hate making myself actually do the work out. Getting started is always the worst. Mornings are too early and dark, but in the evenings I am exhausted from a long day at work, and I don’t always feel like making time to exercise, especially with my other responsibilities and commitments taking precedence.
The reason exercising is so challenging for me is not just because it’s a PHYSICAL challenge, but because I let it become a MENTAL obstacle.
A wise man once said, “Pulling the cart is not hard; THINKING about pulling the cart is what makes it hard.”
I tend to agree on this one. Instead of dreading exercising all day, I simply don’t allow myself to think about it. Instead, I work to remain focused and present—completing tasks at work, eating a healthy lunch, and finishing the day strong. When I feel successful at the end of a busy workday, exercising doesn’t feel like a chore anymore—it feels like a TREAT. I get to burn off steam and energy, and put my focus on ME instead of on everything and everyone else.
If working out pops into my head during the day, I remind myself of the wise saying and I consciously dismiss the “gym dread” from my mind, and instead practice focusing on the present moment instead of a hypothetical future brutal workout.
By taking out the DREAD FACTOR and instead focusing on staying in the present, working out stops being so scary and just becomes a regular part of my day. It is amazing how one little saying has changed my entire workout mindset, and promoted successful days, weeks, months, and eventually—I hope—a lifetime of positive thinking, mindful focus, and healthy exercise!
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