One of the questions I am frequently asked is, how can I not miss a workout? My head starts spinning, I feel like thanking but don't know why, because deep inside of me it feels so easy that there cannot be anything special about it. Few seconds later, and being real honest, I remember I am not that connected every day, I sometimes lack enthusiasm, strength, power, time, and bed feels so good that I am absolutely lazy to jump out of it. Because at the end, there's nothing wrong on missing one day, is there?
After reading a few books, I think i can descipher one special element of big help for this process. Rituals. And is important to understand and differentiate between habits and rituals, even though they go hand in hand to potentiate productivity. Habits are those activities that are done automatically, in such a way that they don't require me to think while I am doing them (driving, biting nails, drinking water...), while rituals are activities to which I assign an intention. In a very implicit way, through rituals, I am visualizing and seeing in advance what I am going to do. This is why, if my goal is to train, there are some important questions I must ask myself and have clear, in order to be able to do my ritual and make it all happen.
First Things First: On Which Days am I Going to Train
The first thing I must definitely know is which days am I going to train, then, that will be my first intention. I must interiorize in such a way I can recite my training days as a poem, that If I am suddenly invited to a breakfast, I can easily know and respond when I am available, that is, after my workout. This really makes things easier to not miss a training day, it is about a compromise with oneself because at the end, it is a gift I am giving to myself.
Second: What Am I Training Tomorrow?
Its absolutely important to know what I need to get ready. Some activities need some preparation and if I have to wake up early or get my gym bag to go to the office, it gets even more important. This is where one of my favorite mantras gains importante: "everthing adds up", and I am here talking about time, where every second and everything I get ready tonight, is a second I save for tomorrow, and that second can become a minute or more so under my warm blankets. The night before is just the best time to even leave the thermos outside (without filling), to help my memory not be affected by the morning rush.
Third: Taking My Clothes Out
Once I know what my workout is about, I can take out my clothes. Will I wear shorts, leggings, long sleeve, short sleeve, running belt, socks, shoes, will I need a running cap? In this step, we keep feeding this intention of training, visualizing our activity, creating images of what will happen, feeling that compromise of something I am going to achieve, of what I am going to experience.
Going a bit further, and thinking of making my everyday chores a bit more agile (everything adds up), I have found it very practical to take out even the clothes I am wearing after workout. The less I have to think while I get ready, the more time I have for myself.
Fourth: Last But Not Least, Know For How Long I'm Training
Schedules give us peace of mind, It feels so much different when your resources are limited that It helps get more JUICE out of it. Off course, there will be some moments where spontaneity must change the rules of the game, for example, a mother waiting for her child to take a nap to be able to go, or when you have planned your workout for after a meeting where you know the starting time but not when it finishes. In either case, it always works better when we have mental maps around there giving us clarity about when to start and when to finish, because one true thing is that life and work continues after every workout and it is what we need to be able to come back and keep training.
We sometimes get used to how we are, and we normalize some actions that can be very natural for ourselves but are not natural to everyone. These small details and life experiences can be very useful for others. My dream is that there are not only "no excuses" for training but that we can all have fun and enjoy the process. It is all part of a decision where we tell our mind what to think, so that she can tell our emotions how to feel better. And yes, it does matter if you skip a workout.
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