Two lifts and a run
I’m not very good at going to the gym consistently.
Shocking, right?
A while ago I realized that the reason I don’t go everyday (or almost everyday) is because it’s not yet a habit.
When I wake up in the morning I brush my teeth and make coffee without a second thought. But prepping my gym bag and driving the mile it takes to get there requires conscious effort.
So I go when I want to. When I have the time. When I feel like it.
Which, surprise surprise, isn’t everyday. Sometimes it’s not even three times a week.
This is because if I merely go for an hour Monday, Wednesday, Friday, I’m not creating a routine, or rewiring my brain or making it automatic. So when I slip up, which I’ll inevitably do, I have to, again, work through the psychological inertia of starting from scratch.
The problem is it’s not a habit. And it’s not a habit because I don’t go everyday. And I don’t go everyday because I haven’t done it consistently enough to see any results.
It’s a negative cycle that doesn’t scale.
What if instead, you did the bare minimum, everyday for 30 days?
For most people, that might be 2 strength exercises (3 sets each) and a quick 5 minute sprint. Two lifts and a run.
From start to finish, it could take ten minutes. Maybe fifteen.
Do that everyday for a month and see how you feel. You might not make as much progress than if you go for an hour, but now you’ll have made it a habit.
Which means that tomorrow you won’t feel like you have to decide to go to the gym.
You might find yourself there without a second thought.
[No more carrots and sticks].