Have you ever noticed that the hardest part about working out is actually getting yourself to do it? You want to work out, you like working out, it makes you feel like a million bucks once you’ve finished exercising, but for some reason you can’t seem to stick to it, you can’t make it a habit.
It makes you wonder: why am I not motivated to do it?
Here is the problem: You aren’t putting your workout into existence. You have only made an intention.
The solution: Create a follow-through workout plan.
First and foremost, you must decide the whens, whats and hows to your planned workouts:
- Decide how many times per week you want to work out .
- What kind of workout (weights, cardio, Pilates, yoga, a dance class, a run, etc)
- When exactly you want to do each workout. Be specific!
Next, do these 5 Steps to ensure you follow-through.
Schedule It
If it is not scheduled, it doesn’t exist. Write it in your agenda or input into your mobile calendar. Seriously, do not skip this step. Do it now.
Clear the to-do list in your mind
At the beginning of each week it is easy to feel overwhelmed with all of the crap we need to get done – but usually it isn’t as bad as it seems. Every Sunday night, write down all of the things you need/want to do that week, including all the little things. During that week, if you get into mental overwhelm, just refer to your list. You’ll likely realize that you have less to do then it seems and won’t have a reason to create an excuse to skip your workout.
Learn to say no
This one is the toughest. You girlfriend wants to go out for coffee tonight? Consult your schedule, if there is a workout planned say NO. You haven’t seen her is a while? The answer is still NO. Skipping a workout is like skipping class. Don’t you know how hard it is to get a job without a university degree?
Get some accountability
Find a workout partner, ideally someone who is more serious about working out then you and make sure you meet them every time. Can’t find anyone? The day of your workout, tell as many people as you can that you are going to do it. The embarrassment of not doing should be enough to get you in gear.
Just do it
As soon as you hear mental chatter coming in with excuses. Say out loud, “No, I’m going to work out.” Say it until you get the mental chatter to shut-up. I don’t care how many times you need to say it, repeat until you are moving your body.
So that is it. That is all the keys to following through with your workouts like a champ. Use them, do them now, bring those workouts into existence.
