There have been many times in my life when I have decided to start working out, getting into shape, only to eventually give up and go back to my normal routine that does not include regular exercise. I can also recall many times that I have thought about getting back to it and working out but I somehow convinced myself that I was just too lazy or not capable of regularly working out.

I would tell myself that working out didn’t fit into my schedule or that I was just not the working out type of person. 

I was taking the easy way out, keeping myself on the steady path of least resistance. I was self-sabotaging by giving myself excuses to give up and at times, convincing myself that the outcome I wanted was not possible for me. That was until I have decided to actually do things differently rather than think about what it could be like if I did. I have decided to stop doing the same old thing and switch things up for once, changing the way I did things for most of my life. I finally accepted the fact that you can’t expect different results unless you actually do things differently. 

I stopped letting myself take the easy way out. I stopped giving in to the laziness and you can too. 

Get Up Early

This part really sucks for some of us. Getting up early has never been my thing, trust me if my body would just stay the way it was when I got married, perfectly toned and tight, I would stay in bed until the sun rose. Every day being greeted by the sun, bathing me in its warm glow like a perfume commercial or that lady in The Notebook. You know the scene where the old-timey girl woke up, well rested, makeup perfect, and about to uncover a beautiful art studio made just for her.

That would be nice, wouldn’t it? Unfortunately, mornings are more like the movie The Hangover, waking up feeling so tired that you almost don’t even notice the tiger in your bathroom, except it feels like you have already gone a couple of rounds with him the night before. Waking up sucks but you have to learn to do it anyway. Push through the hard parts, don’t allow yourself to hit the snooze button or sleep in, do things differently. 

Take the Stairs

People say this all of the time so it can become a meaningless phrase that doesn’t sink in but it is true nonetheless. Whenever you have the option, take the stairs instead of an elevator, park further away from your destination than your first impulse tells you to. Do things differently. 

Eat Healthier

Eating healthy isn’t just about a slimmer waistline and helping you to burn more calories than you take in. It is also a way to fuel your body, setting you up to wake up early, get in a workout, go harder and longer than you could have on running on garbage foods. Eating isn’t always about making your taste buds happy, it is meant to feed your system what it needs to run at its best. Find a healthy meal plan that works for you and stick to it, you will feel the difference and see for yourself once you decide to actually do things differently. 

Start Small

Something I struggle with is starting small, I am the kind of person who goes for it hard and makes sure I give everything my best. When it comes to working out, our bodies need time to work up to a higher stander, with each workout you will get stronger but you have to know your limits. You don’t need to climb a mountain today but you can set it as a goal for the future, in the meantime concentrate on something you can achieve today, tomorrow and by the end of the week. If you can run a mile in twenty minutes, try to get that down to eighteen by the next week or fifteen by the end of the month.

Don’t allow yourself to give up when things get hard. Do things differently. 

Set Reachable Goals

While running up a mountain sounds like a fun way to prove your fitness capabilities it isn’t easily attainable, especially for a beginner. Set small goals that are reachable to prevent setting yourself up for failure and when you reach them, set harder goals. Always allow yourself room to grow but make sure you are being realistic.

I have already said this and I am going to say it again because it is easy to forget when things do get hard when your muscles are burning, your eyes are stinging with sweat, and your mind wants you to settle for less than you are capable of with each passing moment.

Don’t allow yourself to give up when things get hard. Do things differently. 

 

 

Make It Fun

One of the easiest ways to get in a workout is to make it fun. Remember when you were a kid and spent the whole day outside playing sports, riding bikes and really being active? It never felt like working out or burning calories, it was just plain fun so why not make your workouts fun, too? Do something you enjoy that gets your heart rate up, burns calories, and builds muscle. Some of my favorites are dance workouts, hitting the punching bag, jumping rope, and playing sports like frisbee golf or tennis.

It may sound crazy when beginning but you will eventually enjoy working out and even looking forward to it. I didn’t believe it either but ask anyone who works out regularly, we can’t all be lying! It makes perfect sense that once you start feeling good, you begin craving more of the thing that made you feel that way. How will you ever know until you commit, don’t give yourself excuses to quit, and actually start to do things differently?