Last week’s newsletter seemed to strike a chord.
The messages I received afterwards all had a similar theme. So many of us recognised ourselves in that feeling of putting everyone else first, waiting for the “right time” to start looking after ourselves, or simply growing up without fitness and health being something that was encouraged. It wasn’t part of everyday life, so later on we’re trying to build habits that have never really existed.
Ironically, that thought came back to me this morning.
I Nearly Didn’t Go for My Walk
I was driving home after teaching my early morning classes at High and, if I’m honest, I just couldn’t really be bothered.
There wasn’t a dramatic reason.
I told myself I’d go later. Or after another coffee. Or once I’d answered a few emails. It’s amazing how productive we suddenly become when we’re avoiding doing something that’s actually good for us.
Then I got home.
James had just finished a night shift, locked the front door and, very helpfully, left the key in the lock… on the inside.
The back door had been left open, but the only way to reach it was either climbing over the side gate or going for the walk I’d been trying to avoid.
I briefly assessed my chances of making it over the gate without ending up in A&E.
They weren’t good.
So off I went for my walk.
Funny How Motivation Works
About ten minutes in, I caught myself smiling.
I’d spent the previous half an hour talking myself out of doing the very thing I was now genuinely enjoying.
It reminded me of a conversation I’d had the evening before about building systems instead of relying on motivation.
The funny thing is, I didn’t suddenly feel motivated.
I’d simply run out of excuses.
And that got me thinking…
Why Do We Expect Motivation for Some Things But Not Others?
There are plenty of things I never question.
I never stand in the kitchen wondering whether I feel motivated enough to go to work.
I don’t negotiate with myself about brushing my teeth.
When we’re dog sitting, I never look at the dog and think,
“I’ll feed you tomorrow when I’m feeling more inspired.”
Those things just happen because they’re part of everyday life.
Yet mention going for a walk and suddenly I’m a barrister presenting a perfectly argued case for why today simply isn’t the day.
If talking ourselves out of exercise was an Olympic sport, I think quite a few of us would be bringing home medals.
Motivation vs Habit
Once I actually started walking, every excuse disappeared.
None of them had been real problems.
They were simply thoughts passing through my head that I’d almost treated as instructions.
That’s the difference between motivation vs habit.
Motivation comes and goes.
Habits don’t really care how you feel.
Maybe the people who seem incredibly consistent aren’t waking up every morning bursting with enthusiasm. Maybe they’ve simply reached the point where looking after themselves has become as normal as going to work, making dinner or feeding the dog.
Building Healthy Habits Takes Time
I’ve seen this with my own children.
They don’t have dramatic internal battles about whether they’re going to the gym.
They just… go.
It’s what they’ve always known.
Watching them has made me realise that when many people begin exercising in their thirties, forties or fifties, they’re trying to create a rhythm they’ve never experienced before.
That’s actually quite a big ask.
We’re not simply starting exercise.
We’re building a completely new identity and a new set of routines.
That takes practice.
The Walk I Needed
By the time I got home, I felt exactly as I always do after moving my body.
I’m glad I went.
I honestly can’t remember the last time I finished a walk and wished I’d stayed on the sofa.
The opposite?
I’ve done that countless times.
By then James was awake, the door was unlocked, and I’d accidentally done the walk I probably needed all along.
Funny how life has a habit of outsmarting us sometimes.
Final Thought
If you’re waiting to feel motivated before looking after yourself, you could be waiting a long time.
Instead, try making one small thing part of your normal day.
Not because you feel like it.
Just because that’s what you do.
One day you’ll realise you no longer need motivation.
You’ll simply have built the habit.
FANCY A WORKOUT? Here’s a Pilates core focussed session to give a go…