I WANT to exercise. I feel better mentally and physically when I exercise. It completely changes my mood, and I’m depression-prone so that’s very important for me. It makes a huge difference.
I just can’t seem to muster up the energy to do it.
Instead of asking “why can’t I get the motivation to exercise”, I’d like to ask myself “how can I commit to and follow through with an exercise routine?”
What I also notice is that I can’t seem to follow through on pretty much anything I say I’m going to do. I can’t follow my calendar, I can’t stick to a protocol, I can’t do nearly anything I say I’m going to do for long.
Sometimes, I wonder if my expectations are too high / borderline ridiculous. I am sometimes not super loving to myself, and I do think my expectations can be off.
But not for exercise. Why can’t I just get up and do it?
I know that the action I want is to get on that elliptical machine in the morning and hammer out my workout first thing and reap the incredible rewards of exercise all day long. I do think I need to try to work out first thing in the morning, and that could just be the missing key. I will start with my “A” line and work backwards.
C Desire to exercise
T I gotta try on a few and rank them out of 10, with 10 being SUPER PUMPED, 5 being ‘meh’, and 1 being “hell no”
This is going to change my life (6/10)
This will help me unblock my stuck energy (6.5/10)
I am a person who works out (8/10)
I used to workout all the time and loved it (7/10)
I am an active person (7/10)
I get so much vitality through my workouts (7/10)
None of these are BAM on point, but the one that feels the best is the simple “I am a person who works out.” Like, there’s just no question there – I’m just simply a person who works out.
F EMPOWERED (and motivated?). Ease, shows up, as well.
A I get up in the morning, grab my gym clothes, toss them on and get to work. The sun is peeking through the window, and all is quiet in the house. My iPad is charged so I can easily turn on my app, I don’t need to drink my coffee before my workout, I down a glass of water with some electrolytes and I get started. I get dressed in the bathroom right after I pee, and I don’t sit down on the couch until my workout is OVER. My AirPods are charged, my clothes are laid out in the bathroom, I have slept in the super comfy sports bra that I’ll wear to exercise (I hate changing my bra). I have already picked out my workout and set up my weights and exercise mat on the floor so there is ZERO to think about – just get dressed and go. I take things as slow or as hard as my body wants, but I do not stop. After my workout, I allow myself to enjoy every sip of my coffee as I do my morning writing and thought work and then start 20 minutes of kundalini meditation. Then, I shower and love every minute of my juicy day.
R This practice changes my life, allows me to manage my mental and physical health, and take control of every aspect of my life in a super loving way. I develop a deep, trusting, respectful relationship with the parts of myself that don’t want to exercise, that want to sleep in or want to go on the couch. I find peace with my inner self, such that the advanced human brain (the Self) is in charge, and the primitive brain (Parts) can feel safe, protected, and don’t act up. I open up my solar plexus chakra and stop feeling so stuck.
Any suggestions on this model? I’m actually feeling so motivated as I write this I’m going to charge my ipad and pick my workout and set out my clothes! And get my water bottle clean and ready and full!
