Discipline and the “I’ll Start Monday” Trap

How often have you beat yourself up because you just didn’t make it to the gym the three times you promised yourself you’d go this week? Did you just feel like throwing up your hands in frustration, saying, “Argh! I’ll start again next Monday?”

What if you diligently got up at 4 am every morning for three days, did your workout and chugged your recovery protein shake, but then just couldn’t get out of bed on the fourth day? Did you berate yourself? Tell yourself that if you just had a bit more discipline you’d be able to keep to your goals?

Do either of these scenarios sound familiar? How many of us think that if we could be a little more disciplined, we’d lose the weight we wanted, get ripped, get that promotion at work, be successful in our day-to-day lives? Discipline must be the missing link, the reason we can’t reach our goals. Right?

Here’s the reality: Discipline isn’t about forcing yourself into strict (and unsustainable) routines like suffering through that miserable 4 am workout because that’s what someone said you “should” be doing. Forcing yourself to do anything isn’t discipline, it’s a myth. According to CrossFit athlete and trainer Marcus Filly, discipline is a skill that can be developed over time and it’s based on a formula:

So, let’s break it down.

1. The Importance of a Goal (Your Why):

Examine your goal and determine why it’s important to you. You want to lose weight? Ask yourself why. A: To be able to keep up with the kids. Why? A: So I can play with them, bond, and create meaningful moments that they’ll remember. Or maybe your answer is: To set a good example for my children. To be alive to see them graduate high school, get married, have their first child. Whatever your WHY is, it needs to be something that is important to YOU.

2. Joy in the Process:

If you dread getting up at 4 am every morning to go to the gym, how long to you think that commitment is going to last? Not long, nor should it. How about going vegan because you think it’s a healthy choice only to dread every meatless meal? Nope, that won’t last either. Find something that brings you JOY. Love being outdoors? Try walking or hiking instead of slogging it out on the treadmill day after day. Enjoy sports? Join a recreational baseball, pickleball, basketball or hockey league. Whatever you choose, make sure your workouts are fun and challenging. Mix them up or try something new so they don’t feel like a chore.

3. Reduce the Friction:

Friction is the little things that get in the way of you taking action. How many times have you skipped the gym because you didn’t want to make the drive there on a chilly winter morning? You can eliminate that problem by building a gym in your basement or garage. Your setup doesn’t have to be sophisticated. A few dumbbells, maybe some kettlebells, and a yoga mat will do.

Other ways to reduce friction are to set out your workout clothes the night before, so they’re ready and waiting when you wake up in the morning. Prep meals in advance so you don’t have to think about what to eat (and perhaps make a bad choice that you’ll end up beating yourself up over).

These are just some small ways you can manipulate the discipline equation to make reaching your fitness goal fun, easy, and frictionless.

Finally, don’t beat yourself up if you make it to the gym only once this week when your goal was to go three times. You still made it once, and once is better than nothing at all. A small gain is still a gain. Don’t get hung up on “all or nothing” or the “I’ll start again on Monday” cycle. Each step forward, no matter how small, no matter whether it meets your goal or not, is still A STEP FORWARD, and all those little steps can add up over time to a big GAIN.

As always, go easy on yourself. You’re human and fallible, and your life is busy and hectic. Remember: All journeys, whether great or humble, begin with a single step forward.

YOU GOT THIS!

References: Marcus Filly https://functional-bodybuilding.com