I joined a gym in January.
It’s the first time I’ve been a gym member since before kids, when I was working full-time and we only had one car so I went in early with Rocky to school each day. I remember bringing my headphones and plugging them into the elliptical so I could watch the morning news. Then I’d take a shower and head into work.
(Stick with me, I promise this whole post is not about exercising.)
The gym I used to be part of no longer exists, but there are lots of options everywhere. I just never took advantage of them in recent years because hello — kids. And membership can be expensive.
What changed this January?
After talking with my husband about some of my health struggles, he encouraged me to look into joining a gym after all, since the at-home stuff I tried didn’t give me much cardio and I couldn’t seem to stick with any online program. So I found the closest gym that offered childcare (30 minutes away!) and signed up.
I went five times that first week. I listened to podcasts and took long showers in peace… it was glorious. And I went twice the second week. And then my baby came down with a cough and snotty nose, plus she started freaking out about being left in childcare (which she has been doing anytime I leave her sight lately, ugh…). And so I only went once last week, on Saturday when she could stay home with daddy.
I want to beat myself up for this, or be mad at my daughter. I’m paying lots of money and not getting the full benefit. I started strong, but these setbacks stink. Maybe I should just quit and pay the early cancellation fee.
Ever hear of the all-or-nothing mentality? We think if we’re going to succeed at any sort of project, we need to give it 100%. Anything less is simply failure.
Can’t clean the whole house today? Then why even start?
Need to lose 50 pounds? I’ve pushed myself before and it didn’t work.
That 500-page book that sounds really good? I’ll never be able to finish.
I have so much stuff in my house. I need to purge. But my house is so full and I don’t have time.
Why do we give up so easily? Because we see setbacks as failure. We don’t accept that when we want to do a hard thing, it will be hard. We give it our all, or we give it nothing.
A Facebook community I’m part of has pushed and taught me the idea of all-or-SOMETHING.
Can’t get to the gym today? Do a 10-minute YouTube workout!
Eat too much junk at the Super Bowl party last night? Have a smoothie for breakfast!
My house is a disaster!! Set an alarm for a 5-minute clean!
I do think I’d enjoy that long book… Read for 10 minutes before bed tonight!
Just because a task seems overwhelming doesn’t mean it’s unreachable. Starting SMALL and SIMPLE is the best way to create long-term habits that are sustainable and will help you reach your goals. Plus it’s often more fun and enjoyable!
Am I still upset that I’m currently wasting money by not going to the gym very often? Yes. But I also laced up my shoes this morning and did a workout video at home while my daughter ate her breakfast. I completed 15 of the 24 minutes before she decided we should be done. 🙂
What’s an overwhelming task you’re facing today where you can choose to give all-or-something?
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