Create habit over trying for hard fast results

When I was a newbie PT (a lifetime ago) someone shared a story with me. Whether or not it’s true doesn’t really matter – it’s the moral that’s important.

The story was… they had a client who struggled to feel motivated to exercise (pretty normal story), so rather than going straight in hard with sessions they took a different approach.

In week 1: the client had to come to the gym at the same time everyday, gym clothes on, ready to train. But all they had to do was sit in reception for 5-10 minutes + then leave.

In week 2: the client had to do the same. Come to the gym each day, clothes on ready, but this time they had to enter the gym, grab a mat + sit on it for 5-10 minutes. Then they could leave.

In week 3: (see the pattern?) the client had to come to the gym, everyday, clothes on, ready, but this time they had to enter the gym + walk on the treadmill for 5-10 minutes. After this, they could leave, or, they could keep walking if they wish.

In week 4: the client + trainer met, the trainer asked the client how they were feeling, to which they replied… “I feel ready now”. The trainer + client spent 3 weeks creating a discipline in showing up before they even attempted to start training. They laid ground work + habit rather than having a hard and fast approach to “getting results” that wouldn’t last.

And, this is powerful because…
It’s a lesson and the moral of the story that…you’re not always going to wake up and feel motivated. But, creating habit and discipline is what will get you there when you don’t have the motivation.

So if you’re batting to feel motivated this week/month/year(!?!) choose one small achievable thing you can do each day for your health to create habit and do it everyday for 3 weeks. Then let’s report back…ok?

Mine: 5 minutes meditation 2x daily.