The Discomfort of a New Habit

This is how much I love you guys.  I'm giving you a gallery of Ugly Exercising Face and my extremely dorky happy dance when weight training is over.  My children would call it cringey and they'd be right.  But I'm hoping it will help me make my point.

Let's back up a minute.  This is the month that I'm really pushing a lot of clients and members to step up their exercise game.  And I'm right there with you.  I've been told by doctors that I need to do more weight-bearing exercise to increase my bone density.  Then in October I attended an event where I got to meet Ruth Bader Ginsburg's personal trainer.  Y'all.  She's pretty much the Coolest Woman To Walk The Earth, and by the way, she's a FOUR-time cancer survivor.  She hired Bryant Johnson when she realized it was time to get stronger. 

So I'm at this event, and remember, I'm a health coach, so I should know better, but I still asked: What should I do, because I HATE WEIGHT TRAINING and I hate the gym.  And he told me like it is.  He asked if I cared about my health.  He pointed out all the things I do to take care of myself.  And finally he asked, "Then why aren't you doing this?"  (And then he gave me a big kiss and some free workout equipment!  SWOON!  But that's a story for another day.)  

Since then I've downloaded a great app on my iPad to make it easier to get in some weight-bearing exercise.  But I'm inconsistent with it.  So this week, I made a commitment to practice what I preach.  I put three weight-bearing workouts on my calendar every week.  I'm keeping that promise to myself, and I'm making it work for me.  Notice I'm working out in my bedroom.  Nothing fancy.  Me, some weights, some resistance bands, my app and, oh yeah, my autographed copy of The RBG Workout.  Because he's right, if she can do, so can I.

New habits are uncomfortable, you guys.  They just are.  Keep going.  Make a commitment to yourself.  Make a promise to yourself.  And just keep doing it.  Do you know how long it took me to make that morning lemon water a habit?  Months.  Some mornings, it seemed insurmountable.  Impossible.  I was tired, and everyone was up earlier than normal and asking me for stuff.  But I did it anyway.  And it got easier.

When that reminder came up on my phone today to go do my weight workout, I didn't want to stop what I was doing.  But I did it anyway.  Because I know it will get easier. DO IT ANYWAY.  Keep going.  I'm right there with you.