You could wait for the perfect moment.
Ace the shit out of it. And then likely struggle when the perfect moment passes, and real life scissorkicks you in the kidney.
Or, you could start now.
Knowing that when you can figure it out now, despite various obstacles, there is nothing stopping you once you get going.
-J
There isn’t one that’s best for everyone.
The best options for you are the ones you can stick to. The ones that improve the health and fitness parameters you care about.
Sometimes what you need aligns with what you enjoy. And sometimes it doesn’t.
But, with most skills and habits, the more you progress, the more you’ll enjoy them.
-J
“Stop being a victim. Take ownership. Stop complaining. Just do it.”
That’s a typical social media masterclass in the character-building-bullshit-circus from apparent fitness experts, aka influencers, who get their life’s meaning from “helping” people by telling them to harden up.
The louder the voice, the better. Bonus points for fitting in a couple of curse words and wearing a singlet and tiiiiiiiiiiiiight pants.
I can imagine how transformative this advice is to a mum of three who works 40 hours a week, has a dog, and inlaws from hell. “Wow. I’ve never thought of that. Thank you for sharing. Now I know exactly what I need to do. Hurray!”
Said no one ever.
Here’s what’s up.
Bullying or forcing people into action might work for a while. But it doesn’t lead to long-term change. Pain and suffering don’t lead to accountability.
What most people need are empathy, encouragement, support and coaching to (re)build self-trust and self-accountability in their fitness.
But I get it. That’s really difficult to yell into a microphone.
-J
The stronger you become, the more variety you can have in the workouts.
You can choose more challenging exercises and make easier exercises more challenging.
You’ll also have better body control and can rely more on your body weight for resistance, so you can get a workout done anywhere with zero equipment.
Ironically, when you reach that point with your strength and have all the options available, you’ll likely be more content with less variety. You’ll probably have a set of exercises you like to focus on and improve at.
But it’s kind of nice to know that you could do anything if you chose to.
-J
Whatever THAT is.
There is always an alternative.
When it comes to exercise and nutrition, you can make everything fit your personality, preferences and lifestyle.
If someone tells you otherwise, they’ll likely have a financial motive riding shotgun.
-J
The failure to change and break unhealthy habits is rarely about not having the right tactics.
We’ve all been there. Using the Pomodoro technique to curb procrastination, choosing carrots instead of Oreos, or performing the reverse Jesus and swapping wine for water.
It might work for a while. But like a cheap bandaid, it won’t stick.
Because what triggers those unhealthy habits in the first place is our response to uncomfortable emotions.
We choose unhealthy, unproductive habits because they allow us to temporarily hide from whatever mental turbulence we’re feeling.
And the only way to truly break an unhealthy habit is to face and deal with those triggering uncomfortable emotions.
As uncomfortable as it may be.
-J
A book that doesn’t click and a workout that feels like crap have a lot in common. We feel an obligation to finish what we’ve started.
But there are no points, stars or parrot signs for mindless grit. You’re not doing this for anyone else except yourself. There’s no test in the end.
Close the book. Drop the weights.
What matters is that you pick up the next book and show up for another workout.
-J
This morning I woke up to a message from B, one of the coaching clients. She’d done a strength workout last night despite having zero motivation.
For anyone trying to build an exercise habit, that is a sign of progress worthy of a Van Halen knuckle pump. I’ll go as far as saying that it overrides any superficial or feeling-based progress.
Because you’re no longer only showing up because of the impending future results. You’re showing up because exercise is becoming a part of what you do and who you are.
That’s when you show up and do the work regardless of whether you’re motivated.
And once you get to this point, you’ve moved past the most challenging part of building a new habit. Because from now on, showing up is often easier than stopping.
The only way to get to this point is to show up enough times, despite the resistance. And one day, it’ll start to feel weird not to show up.
Well done for showing up, B!
-J
Warning signs that our health and fitness approach needs course-correcting:
And then a few of the more obvious ones:
Yep, the health and fitness industry is a magnet for absolute nonsense. But it’s the stuff that kind of makes sense that we often trip over.
-J
There are places in life where immediate feedback makes all the difference. Driving a car, having a conversation or trying to calibrate a nuclear fusion. Crashes, misunderstandings and very unpleasant nuclear things happen when there’s a delay in the feedback.
The opposite is true when you’re trying to reclaim your energy and strength without burning out in the process. Expecting immediate feedback on your efforts is bound to lead to disappointment. You’re putting in a lot of work and noticing very little change.
This is why short-term transformations are so appealing to a lot of people. They promise immediate feedback on your efforts.
But, if part of your goal is to keep your results, it helps to shift your feedback timeline from days to months.
-J