A Little Tip for Sticking with Fitness Goals

I'm sure many have experienced the problem of not being able to stick with one's fitness goals. It's a common problem. You decide I'm going to go to the gym a few days a week, you stick with it for a week or two, then get lazy. I've dealt with this and have found a way to "trick" myself into sticking with my goals.

The So-Called Trick

For me, I have had plenty of days where I had to drag myself to the gym. The trick I use is I'll go to the gym (nowadays my basement) and I'll do my first exercise. If I do all my sets of that and still don't feel like doing any more, then I'll give myself the OK to pack up and go home. More often than not, by the time I finish the first lift, I'll be in a better mood and will want to finish my workout in its entirety. There are of course still times here and there where I am just done after that first lift. But even then, at least I did something and won't regret being lazy and skipping the workout.

If lifting isn't your thing, you can still apply this tactic elsewhere. With running for example, you could run around your block once and end early if you're just not feeling it. You could also just commit to a short distance and increase if things get better.

The Journey Matters More than the Individual Day

At the end of the day, the important thing is being able to stick to your goals. We all have our bad days, but they will be forgotten soon enough. Quitting the journey, or losing the momentum takes a bit more to come back from.