As a former procrastinator and bona fide physical weakling, I can no longer delay going to the gym. I’m going, but forming this new habit is not as smooth as I’d like. I’ll share what I wrestle with in establishing the gym as a habit. Please help me with your feedback! I need a mindset adjustment.
To go or not to go is not the struggle. I must go. I even want to go.
Through God’s grace I’m overcoming these:
- Why go to the gym? I totally get that. I regret my neglect and rejoice that I can change and benefit.
- I’m glad for the physical work.
- The embarrassment of my wimpiness is fading because I’m confident I will grow better.
- I’d rather have a partner to go with regularly, but without one, I can be businesslike, do the job, and leave.
Points of struggle:
- The overall time it takes
- Giving the gym time in the morning
Driving and working out take an hour and a half three times a week. Ouch. Worse, I’ve figured out I need to do this in the morning and that is a HUGE bummer for me. Morning is my peak brain time. I prefer to use my alert mind for more brain engaging activity – procrastination work, reading, studying.
Why not go in the afternoon? Lengthy trials with afternoon exercise have taught me 1) valid interruptions take over, and 2) my energy level is too low at that time. (Yet if I do the gym in the morning, I have more energy later in the day.)
So exercise must be in the morning because that is when I can be faithful. I resent that. Help! I need a long term view and willingness to pay the price.
Okay. As I write this, I may be realizing something. In addition to giving up morning time, I don’t want to change my quiet time and I don’t like interrupting my work to leave. The more starts and stops, the more opportunity for lost time. Maybe I should go to the gym earlier in the morning and get it out of the way. When I get home, I’d have a single bigger chunk of time to work. Hmmmm. This would mean coordinating with my husband whose schedule changes often. Winter could be a problem. (There’s always a lion in the streets, right? Proverbs 22;13, 26:13) No excuses. I should try this. Maybe earlier – and done.
Maybe the “problems” I see are tools God is using to move me into a better functioning day‚Ķ
I feel like I’m giving up prime time. However, maybe I’m exchanging some prime time for extended prime time or for more effective time when I do work.
What’s your counsel for me?
5:00 a.m. wake up, work outs at 5:30. Home and ready for breakfast, a shower and QT by 7:00. It’s the only way it works for me. I admit that I sometimes need a mid morning nap, but going to bed on time really helps. I tried a class that met at 10:00 a.m. for a couple months, and it just broke my day up too much. Early morning is the only thing that works for me.
Thank you, Karen! I’m so glad you wrote this. I think I have to do something very similar. Years ago I did and it worked well. Then I got away from it. Now I allow my husband’s schedule to keep me off kilter. I need to get his take on it all, then move into something settled – and early. Please ask me in a week or two how I’m doing! You also touched on napping, going to bed early enough, and not breaking up the morning. You summed it up! At least for us larks!