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5 Steps to Stop Talking About Exercise and Actually Do It

Why can some people jump into a fitness routine while others just can't seem to stick to it? It's not laziness, because I know many hard-working people that can't stick to fitness. Sometimes it's that the desire just isn't there. But most often people fail because they fail to prioritize adding exercise into their day to day routine.
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It's September, and it's time to get back into a routine.

Why can some people jump into a fitness routine while others just can't seem to stick to it?

It's not laziness, because I know many hard-working people that can't stick to fitness. Sometimes it's that the desire just isn't there. But most often people fail because they fail to prioritize adding exercise into their day to day routine.

"There's people that make things happen.

There's people that watch things happen.

Then there's people that wonder what the hell happened."

Hopefully, after reading this you will fall in the first category.

I hear it from my clients all the time: "If I didn't have an appointment, I wouldn't show up." The appointment adds exercise into the structure of their day.

We seem to know that when it comes to business, an idea is just an idea until you add structure to it. It's the structure (phone calls, marketing efforts, etc.) that makes the idea come to life. However, when it comes to ourselves, we forget.

Here is how you do it:

1. You have to look at your schedule and think what time of day would be most realistic.

Is your workout at 3 p.m. because you're unproductive at that time? Is it early in the morning because it's easier to get it over and done with? Or is it at night when the kids are in bed? A good strategy is to look at your priorities and overlap them. If you want to spend time with your kid, maybe they're old enough to start the gym with you. Not a bad thing to teach them, either.

How about a workout/business meeting?

There are endless ways you can overlap your priorities when you start to think about it.

2. You need to think about how much actual time you have. Is it 15 minutes, or can you dedicate a full 45 minutes to fitness? 15 minutes is much better than nothing, so don't convince yourself that you don't have time.

3. You have to figure out what you will do. Is it bodyweight circuits at work? A dumbbell workout at home? Or perhaps a personal trainer at your convenience?

4. You need to pencil it into your schedule and start making it a habit.

5. Who would you hate to let down? Make that person hold you accountable. We tend to do better if we care what another person thinks about us.

In the book Switch, Chip and Dan Heath break down the motivation to change. To continue after the change, it's all about structure.

Now that I talked about structure:

Here are action steps you should take right now if you want to get in shape starting today.

  1. If you don't have 20 minutes now, schedule a time so you can think about and research what's the best option for you.
  2. After you've made a decision on the best solution, do whatever it takes to get started (schedule an appointment, call, email, whatever).
  3. Block off your schedule on those days and get started.
  4. Get someone positive to hold you accountable for showing up.

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