It doesn't seem to matter what the exercise program is or if it is just simply exercise in general, a recurring phenomenon we often see in the fitness industry is this:
#2) They take the next step and start a new program
#3) They love it and feel better
#4) They are committed and get a good routine going
#5) Then after maybe a month, maybe two, they suddenly stop. They fall off the wagon.
#6) They abandon the program completely OR maybe they try again, but sporadically over the next couple of weeks/months and cannot get back on track, eventually abandoning it.
So what happened? If #3 is really true, why stop doing the thing they were enjoying and feeling better with? The answers will vary but almost all can be summed up by one word - Life. Life happened. Something in life caused their momentum to stop. Maybe they got sick, were out of town, got a little extra busy with work, the kids, whatever. Life stuff. Or maybe they were tired after a long day and decided to skip the gym on their normal day. No big deal, right? Can always make it up later.
The issue is that many, many people can't make it up later. Once the momentum is gone and that train derailed, it is extremely hard to get it back on the tracks. They have lost their mojo. It can happen to anyone.
Here is the thing people often miss: Life is not the real problem. And it is certainly never going to stop happening. What makes getting back on track so difficult in this scenario is that the person was lulled into a false sense of security. They started their new program, they were nervous to start but did it anyway, felt proud of themselves (as they should) were having fun and got fired up about this new, positive change in their life. This is what I call the "life-change high.” But newness doesn't stay new for long and it no longer qualifies as a change once you've been doing it for a while. When this initial high wears off, we will need a different kind of motivation. It's almost like switching gears in a car. You have to find that 2nd gear if you want to get to your destination.
What you must know first is that this fitness journey is NOT going to be easy. Find something you actually enjoy doing, sure, but if you expect yourself to always feel like working out (or sticking to a new diet, which all of this applies to as well), you are in for a rude awakening. Some days you are just gonna want to stay home. Some days you'll say to yourself, "I'm just not feeling it.” When you were still in the life-change high state, you could override these things but not anymore. As I mentioned earlier, we can lull ourselves into a false sense of security. Maybe we tell ourselves it's not going to be easy but we don't fully believe it because it feels so good from the get-go. We can't allow that to happen, though, as it conditions us to think that is all working out should be ALL the time and when it isn't, we aren't compelled to stick with it.
So, by understanding what you're in for, you can set expectations and plan mentally and emotionally. Plan for setbacks. Expect Life to interrupt your routine. And expect to not be deterred by that. You truly have to embrace The Grind. But who wants to embrace a grind? Not many of us, right? We'd much rather have things be easy and quick. This isn't going to be one of them though. There are no magic pills or shortcuts. But always remember that YOU ARE WORTH IT. You are worth the grind. You are worth all the hard work. In fact, there is no better cause!
If and when you find yourself losing that mojo, ask yourself the following questions:
Why did you get started with an exercise routine in the first place?
What are you goals?
Why do you want those goals?
What would achieving those goals mean to you? Fantasize about it!
What would happen if we DON'T achieve those goals, long term?
Answer them honestly. Check in with yourself. The easy answer is that you can always put these things on hold. And sometimes, putting things on hold might actually work. But do you absolutely have to though? Why put it off when you really can do it now? It's probably not going to get easier later. Might seem like it because you're dealing with something big/difficult now, etc, etc. Remember that Life always happens. By the time you finish what is holding you back now, there may very likely be something new you're dealing with later. And think of how much better you will feel later if you start now!
Your brain will disagree. It will tell you that later is better and you can start fresh in X. After you finish X. When you get back from X. When X season is over. And it will give you very good, legitimate reasons why this is true and make perfectly logical sense. If you fell off the wagon, it will definitely tell you why you can't get back on. Or why it's not the same for you anymore. It can think of a million reasons NOT to do something or not to do something right now. But you only need one reason - You. I will say it again. And again and again. You are worth it.
So if you start something new and are on that life-change high, you can certainly enjoy it but remember that to, some degree, the life-change high is a lie. At the very least, it will eventually wear off. You need a new high. While I'm naming things, I am going to call it the "Embracing the Grind High." If you come in and do a boxing class or whatever you do and are not feeling it at all, get excited. That is good! That is real. You are proving you are in it to win it, not just some tourist. So you didn't do your best that day. So you felt a little off or slow or whatever. Good! That shows you've got dedication. You've got grit. Yeah, some days are going to suck but you knew that going in and you did it anyway. Because it doesn't matter if you didn't perform up to your normal standards, you are one step closer on your path. Doesn't matter if Life happened and you weren't able to do your normal weekly return because you will keep getting back up every time Life knocks you down. It is not a sprint, it is a marathon and you are choosing strength over weakness.
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