We’ve been sold a lie. Well, a few actually.
We’ve been led to believe that we should feel motivated to exercise.
That we should have adequate energy & time to do it.
And that if we can’t do it the exact right way, it doesn’t really count.
Lies, all of them!
- Here’s the reality: motivation is fleeing.
- Energy? It’s unpredictable.
- And if you’re waiting for the “perfect” moment to exercise… well, you may just be waiting forever.
I can fall in and out of the same trap.
- In fact, I have recently found myself in a real training funk.
- The signs are obvious – my brain starts to become crafty.
- It either justifies why I’m not training (eg. because I didn’t sleep well last night) or it tries to bargain with me (eg. I’ve got too much work on so I’ll do a double session tomorrow).
- When I used to find myself here, I would beat myself up (you’re so lazy, it’s not that hard, you KNOW what to do, why aren’t you doing it!)
- Now I know that the issue is not laziness. It’s not a lack of motivation, energy or time. It is too much friction.
Friction is the silent saboteur.
- Friction is created by those tiny little barriers that get in the way of us and our goal.
- Friction is our kids being needy in the mornings.
- It’s our workout gear being out of sight (and out of mind).
- It’s not having a good plan of what exercise we actually need to do.
- In my case, I was trying to ‘fit’ my training in through the day “between clients” (newsflash, there often is no ‘between clients’).
- Here’s what I did: I moved my weights into my bedroom. Now, I can’t get to my door (or my coffee) in the morning without stepping over them. Oh and I do my workout in my pyjamas (because getting dressed is another friction point!)
More motivation wasn’t the solution. Less friction was.
- This is why I love the WOOP strategy for cutting through the noise and getting things done.
Here’s how it works:
1. Wish – What do you want to achieve? (For me, it was getting back into my regular strength training routine.)
2. Outcome – Visualise what success looks like. (I had been visualising how hard it would feel. So I switched to visualising feeling stronger, more energised, and more confident).
3. Obstacle – Identify the real-life barriers. (In my case, my weights were out of sight, and my mornings always felt rushed.)
4. Plan – Make a specific plan to overcome those obstacles. (I moved my weights into my bedroom, so now they’re in my way!)
If you’re stuck in a cycle of waiting for motivation, time or energy to do something for yourself, consider this your wake-up call
You don’t need to change you; you need to change your environment. You don’t need to find more energy; you just need to make things easier.
So, what friction can you remove? Go on! WOOP with me!