liveliness and even mortality rate are all factors to consider. But knowing is one thing; putting together the muster and really doing it is another.
How many times have you set out to start a new workout routine with the greatest of intentions only to fall short?
How many times have you jumped into action with all the vigor and zeal of an ancient Greek athlete, breezing through the first few sessions like nothing was wrong, only to lose your passion just as quickly? How many times have you welcomed that momentum, suddenly feeling more alive than you have in years – perhaps even facing that pain with pride for the first few days – only to throw in the towel weeks or months later?
Everyone understands that doing exercise improves one’s health both immediately and over time.
Perhaps something more pressing, such as a work commitment or even an injury, has disrupted your habit, and you’ve never been able to get back on track…
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Avoiding the Consistent Failure
Cycle
So, how do you stay motivated to exercise? If you’re like most well-intentioned people on the earth, you’ve witnessed this predictable chain of events not once, but many times. You can’t make the habit of working out the stick, no matter how much willpower you muster to return with a vengeance.
So, how can you not only find inspiration to exercise, but also keep that motivation going in the long run? To turn it become something more than a passing craze – a lifelong pursuit?
I’d like to expose you to a simple, practically surefire way of workout motivation. You could even slap yourself in the face for not thinking of it yourself.
But first, let’s take a look at the hidden power of physical fitness in modern life – since realizing the incredible leverage fitness brings to your reality makes deciding to make fitness a permanent part of your life much easier.
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Habits Are the Foundation Of Nature’s Magic.
hectorir | Flickr | hectorir
One of the most important elements to life’s success is the power of habits.
People who are successful do not become so because they are exceptional or “gifted.” Sure, some people focus their efforts in areas where they have some promise, but there are many Mozarts, Einsteins, Michael Jordans, and Stephen Kings who never achieved anything because they never harnessed the power of habits to orchestrate their lives.
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Successful People Become That Way Because They Develop Habits That Help Them Succeed.
Habits always come out on top. They take time to grow, but once they do, you won’t have to think about them anymore. You don’t have to worry about how to tie your shoes every morning, for example. Alternatively, how to wash your teeth.
Have you ever done any other chores in your life that looked difficult at first but later became second nature to you? I’m inclined to guess that’s the case.
Your body, brain, and subconscious mind are all designed to make tasks routine. And if you learn to develop and implement the appropriate habits – the kinds of habits that lead to success – the ultimate result will be a successful life. It becomes virtually unavoidable.
Consider what would happen if you chose the most life-changing habits and turned them into automated routines in your life. If you think about it, this ability to organize and automate life applies to all of nature, not just people.
Seasons come and go in the same precise order every year, and it’s because of this natural law that plants can work their magic year after year. Every day, the sun rises and sets around the same time, and the days begin to shorten around the same time. A given sort of seed will always produce the same type of tree — it will not sprout a tomato plant one day.
All of nature lives and functions because of the strength of habit, and if these powers were thrown off even slightly, life as we know it would end.
As a result, it becomes evident that focusing on the formation of a habit, rather than on dropping that thirty pounds you’ve been carrying about for too long or obtaining that six-pack you’ve always wanted, gives you considerably more control in your life.
Physical Wellness Is A Crucial Habit
Perhaps you’re familiar with the concept of a keystone habit. In essence, certain habits, once established in your life, not only affect one aspect of your life but also serve as the foundation for a web of other excellent habits, as if our habits were a web. In other words, these keystone habits have the potential to start a snowball effect that will drastically alter your experience on this planet.
One Of the Most Evident Cornerstone Habits Is Physical Fitness.
Let’s have a look at it in more detail. You already know that fitness will make you stronger, offer you more energy, aid in disease prevention, and make you a happier person emotionally.
Working out on a regular basis provides immediate health benefits, which alone are reason enough to make it a priority.
Beyond that, there are the less evident effects of physical fitness. Have you ever observed that when you start working out, you automatically start eating healthier – even if it wasn’t your immediate plan? Working exercise also makes you more productive and provides you more energy, which can lead to greater success at work and, as a result, better financial control, which can affect every aspect of your life.
We could talk about minor things like this all day about how they all spring from the simple decision to acquire a minimum amount of physical activity every day. This is the very definition of a keystone habit, which is why mastering the drive to exercise may be a game-changing decision that can change your life forever starting tomorrow.
Isn’t that ridiculous? That just picking up one new behavior may have such a big impact?
This is where we find our technique.
How a 5-Minute Commitment Can Make a Huge Difference in Your Life
Have you heard the phrase “showing up is half the battle”?
This was derived from a quotation by the legendary Woody Allen, however, the underlying emotion was slightly different than the one we are familiar with.
“Showing up is eighty percent of life,” he actually remarked, and I bring this up because the latter is considerably more accurate, especially when it comes to working out.
Committing to nothing more than showing up is the key to building a habit of working out every day for the rest of your life. Even if it just means going to the gym every day and changing into your training clothes, then changing back into your usual clothes and returning home.
Why Is This So Effective?
Because the majority of people will complete the workout 80 percent of the time, if not more. The most crucial aspect is to show up. You’ve already overcome the barrier of getting out of bed and dragging yourself across town to the gym once you’re there.
You’ve already arrived on-site, and it’s natural to shrug and opt to lift some weights or do some cardio.
The Secret to Getting It to Work
However, the key is to keep the pressure as low as possible. If you push yourself to exercise when you don’t feel like it, this method won’t function as well as it should. You must create a low-pressure environment.
So it’s no huge deal if you show up and don’t have the energy to do anything but stroll out and get a drink from the fountain, do one rep, or use the locker room’s hot tub. Allow yourself to be released from responsibility and depart.
Once again, the majority of people will complete the workout 80 percent to 95 percent of the time.
Do you see how brilliant that is?
In the meantime, you’re making it a habit to go to the gym. You show up every day, and you almost always work out because you’re already there. And, with time, this habit becomes an inextricable part of your life. You’ve started the habit-forming process, which is the most significant tool in workout motivation…
Whether you set your willpower to do so or not, the results will show up in your waistline and eventually leak over into other parts of your life.
Is It Necessary To Have a Gym Membership In Order To Do This?
CherryPoint | Flickr
Certainly not. This way of showing up can be used in any situation and with any form of physical activity. If you don’t have access to a gym, simply designate a corner of your home as an exercise station, get up at the same time every morning, change your clothes, and head to that spot.
You don’t want to work up a sweat this morning? What does it matter? Return to your bed.
Trying to get into the habit of running in the morning? Commit to walking all the way to the end of the street — or even just your driveway. Alternatively, commit to nothing more than getting out of bed and putting on your running shoes.
Do you want to start swimming in the mornings? Establish the routine of simply getting out of bed and into the pool (or any body of water) every day, and if you don’t feel like laps, it’ll be nothing more than a nice dunk to start your day.
Whatever you do, make sure you do it consistently day in and day out.
Other Ways to Make the Showing Up Strategy Work
By the way, you’ve surely noticed that you could use this brilliant strategy in other aspects of your life.
If you want to write a book, set aside time each day to write a page or simply sit in front of your computer. Set the wheels in motion with an hour of planning or concentrate on your side project if you’re launching a side business.
Of course, if you want to get the most out of it, you should try to identify the cornerstone habits that will impact your life in ways other than the obvious rewards. These are the ones on which you should focus your efforts.