Content
Context
One thing I struggle with when working out is staying consistent, especially when I do it alone. More often than not, leading up to the time I planned to work out, I begin to talk myself out of it. If that doesn't work, when the time arrives, I start to procrastinate, thinking, "I'll work out today, just later." It's not hard to guess that most times, "later" never arrives. Thankfully, a simple practice I came across online has helped me tackle the problem.
Motivation
Before going into the practice, I want to share an interesting thought on motivation which I also came across online. Coincidentally enough, this thought can be linked to the practice. This is how it goes, "we don't have to be motivated to do something." When I first heard this, I was dumbstruck. For as long as I can remember, I had unconsciously believed the opposite when it came to things I didn't enjoy doing, like working out. The countless content about staying motivated in working out probably didn't help either. This now leads me to the simple practice.
The Practice
On days where I struggle to find the motivation to work out, I tell myself to just get through 5mins (this doesn't include warm-up). Most of the time, since I've already started, I end completing the entire workout. However, on some days when this doesn't work, I take it as a sign to take a break and resolve to work out the next time.
Final thoughts
In part one, I mentioned how having motivation and accountability are crucial for me to work out consistently, so this post may seem contradictory. However, in my reality, motivation to work out isn't always present but following the practice helps me do so despite this.
This marks the end of the two-part series on working out consistently. I hope what I've shared has been helpful. In my next post, I will be sharing essential information on sunscreen that I found useful in knowing.