It’s easy to have good intentions for exercise and diet only to let them go when it matters the most.
I’ve found that even when I’m super focused on getting into shape or eating well, I sometimes notice myself struggling to stay motivated.
Over time, I’ve learned there is a difference between motivation and discipline.
I find motivation is closely linked to enthusiasm. This can be very helpful to start something new or get me to complete something when the end is close.
But motivation and enthusiasm can fall away when the grind of day to day life takes over. At that point it’s much easier to let go of my goals and routine.
This is where discipline comes in.
Discipline is the frame that gets things done long after the excitement and initial enthusiasm for a task has passed.
Without discipline, I found good intentions can be just that. Intentions that don’t covert into long term action.
To shift my life to a place where I’m living a life with exercise and eating well fully integrated required discipline.
I built my discipline with two key tools:
- Mindset; and
- Taking action
Mindset is something I’ve talked about before. At its heart it’s about opening up to a new way of seeing myself. Seeing myself as the person who does exercise and eats well.
By developing and strengthening this self image I massively increase the likelihood of following through on my plans.
The second part links to taking action. There’s nothing complicated about it but I found it critical to reinforcing the mindset.
I best describe taking action as overcoming the inertia that would otherwise stop me from doing the things I know I want to and should do.
It’s a split decision in any one moment. Do I take the right road and honour the goals I’ve set for myself. Or take the easy way out and stay on the sofa and prefer takeaway.
Mindset is the fuel for change. But I still to take action and strike the match to light it up.
I’ve found the easiest way to overcome resistance and inertia is to take action through the tiniest decisions possible.
For example, I know I should go for a run. I can’t be bothered.
First small decision: At least put my running kit on.
Second small decision: At least put my trainers on.
Third small decision: At least go out the front door.
Fourth small decision: At least just start walking.
Fifth small decision: At least do a little jog.
Sixth small decision: At least get to 5 minutes.
Seventh small decision: At least go another 5 minutes.
Eighth small decision: May as well go another 5 minutes to 15 minutes.
Ninth small decision: Turn around. May as well jog back home.
Sounds obvious but it works. Sometimes even getting out for a 30 minute jog feels like a big effort. It feels uncomfortable. I’m nice and cosy in my house. The TV on. It’s easy to make an excuse.
And the effort to get out feels massive.
So I break it down into tiny steps. Nine small steps in the above example. I found these tiny steps feel much less threatening.
No one decision is too hard. But in combination they get me out of the door and running.
Now, back to mindset. The benefit of the mindset shift is that this changes my comfort zone over time. There came a stage where it felt more uncomfortable to miss an exercise session because it didn’t align with who I saw myself as.
But it took a bit of time to get there. I reckon 30-60 days. And even now if I have a tough day, breaking the decisions down into tiny steps can be very helpful.
The aim with all of this was to achieve a new routine in the easiest way possible with the least amount of effort.
Discipline is an important part of that and can be achieved with a low level of consistent effort. Once I broke it down into small steps my success rate massively increased. And quickly became a positively reinforcing cycle.
A super simple, super easy way of driving long lasting change.
