Just Go to the Gym

Dear Reader,

Why is it so hard to start new routines? Well, I guess that isn’t always the case. For example, if we one day decided to do something fun like enjoy a fancy pastry everyday after work that would probably be very easy to accomplish. However, if we decided that we wanted to go to the gym after work everyday for one hour, then, well… we all know how those resolutions go.

I so desperately want to start going to the gym more, however, I am having trouble turning these thoughts into actions. Some say it takes around two months to turn your actions into a habit. So, by that logic, I suppose I can approach my gym aspirations with a clear and straightforward goal. I must go to the gym consistently for two months in order to make going to the gym a habit rather than a chore. Oh boy. Two months is such a long, short time. Already now I have been blogging for over two months and I must say, there may be some truth in the two-month wisdom. After two months of writing every day, I really do feel compelled to say something by the time the early evening rolls around. So, I guess if I can bring myself to write everyday (something I certainly did NOT do before this blogging journey), I guess I can also get myself to exercise more regularly.

Holding myself accountable about going to the gym is perhaps necessary to make this habit stick. Luckily, my boyfriend would also like to go to the gym more regularly, so scheduling joint sessions is one, supposedly, “easy” way to stick to a gym routine.

Another way I imagine I could make this gym journey a reality would be to set some concrete goals. My boyfriend has some sort of an account set up on the fitness machines. With this system he can easily track how much and how intensely he exercises. My system is more simple and I just mark which days I bother showing up to the gym on my phone.

Also, I imagine that making working out a habit has a lot to do with one’s mindset. Viewing the gym as a dreaded activity is probably not how I should approach my fitness journey. I must be more optimistic. They say that envisioning the end goal is a good gym motivator. So here I am picturing myself fit and happy and eager to work out!

Lastly, I told my boyfriend that I was blogging about the gym and he responded, “you should just go to the gym.” So, there you have it, Dear Reader, I should just quit now and go to the gym. If someone else out there is eager to start on their fitness goals before the new year, my advice to you is that you should just go to the gym 😉

Love,

Raven