If you struggle to stick to a regular exercise routine, chances are that you haven’t yet connected to a compelling reason to do so, therefore it isn’t high on your list of priorities.
This then begs the question, “what is a compelling reason?”. A compelling reason is the meaning behind carrying out a specific action, which in this case is making time each week for your regular exercise routine, regardless of what else you have going on.
We are all busy people, and all of us have competing priorities, but whatever we make the time to do most, we have a more compelling reason behind why we are doing it. These reasons can be based off logistics and make a lot of sense, or on the other hand they can be based off past experiences, limiting beliefs, or feelings such as fear, which aren’t in our best interests, and may even negatively impact how we prioritise the things in our lives.
Here is an example of a none compelling reason:
“I have a regular exercise routine because I want to lose weight”. The focus here is on losing something, it’s uninspiring and when life gets tough, which from time to time it always does, this person will more than likely fall off the wagon until life gets easier again.
Here is an example of a compelling reason:
“I have a regular exercise routine because I want to be the best roll model I can be for my children. I want to make sure I have the energy to be there for them whenever they need me and to have a high performing body so I can play with them however they want to play. I want to lead a healthy lifestyle so they don’t have the restrictions in their life that I’ve had in my own due to being overweight.”
You can probably feel the compelling reason from the second example here. This person knows exactly why they’re regularly exercising, and putting 3-5 hours a week aside to improve themselves isn’t a big obstacle because they have a compelling reason.
She has also made it non-negotiable.
In life we have many non-negotiable’s such as:
- Making time to eat
- Making time to sleep
- Making time to go to work
If you want to live in a body that feels healthy, fit and agile and with high energy, you will have to make regular exercise a non-negotiable.
Here is an analogy for you: Let’s say you’ve always wanted to grow and eat your own tomatoes. You plant the seed, you water & fertilise it regularly, and it’s flourishing. You’re 6 weeks in, and life gets really busy. Instead of juggling your priorities, you drop the tomato plant completely, and before it fruits, it dies. Once life calms down you decide to give it another go. You plant another seed, water & fertilise it regularly, and it grows. But 6 weeks in again life gets busy, and you neglect it. The plant dies and you are back to square 1 yet again, again without any tomatoes.
Much like growing a tomato plant, or any plant for that matter, a successful and fruitful weight loss journey requires you to make regular fitness a non-negotiable. With that said, flexibility is also key. You don’t want to stress yourself through the roof if there is no way you can make a specific workout. There will be times where it just can’t happen, and that is completely normal when we’re looking at a long term approach. Creating a consistent fitness routine with some flexibility is something that takes time. Stick at it.
In summary, when you find your compelling reason, it will make sticking to a regular exercise routine much easier, and when you marry your compelling reason with a committed mindset and the right guidance, you are on a very strong path to achieving results you’ve never achieved before.
