Motivation vs Routine

Many of us have experienced bouts of excited motivation -

“this Monday I’m going to start fresh on my health and fitness goals!”

Monday comes and the motivation is still there, you go out early morning for a long run or hit the gym after work with a thousand other people. Tuesday, you’re sore and take a rest day. Wednesday it’s time to hit the exercise again. Thursday is another rest to be ready to exercise on Friday. It’s been a long week and work colleagues are going to the bar after work. You’ve “earnt” it so you ditch the gym for socialising with bad food and alcohol. You’ll start fresh on Monday.

Sound familiar?

Motivation is cute at the start of any new venture but it can leave you stranded at any time. Routine is the one there for you, by your side all the way.

Research suggests that it actually takes six months to form a solid habit. Let’s face it, we are all human and make mistakes or poor choices, so your environment is key to safeguard against this. Your environment can include, work, home, driving to those places and the people you socialise with. There’s temptation everywhere.

Simple changes in lifestyle can help with your routine. Set an alarm to wake up earlier to get your exercise done in the morning with no screen time after 7pm so your brain can relax and you’re able to sleep better. Also having only healthy food at home and meals ready to go can help those regretful fast food choices. Setting up an appointment based exercise schedule with a personal trainer or workout buddy that’s booked in a few times during the week can keep you going when you’re not motivated.

You’re more likely to cancel on yourself than someone else.

When motivation has left you, your routine is still there to help you reach your goals. Make mistakes but quickly learn from them and stick to the plan.

During these recent times we have needed to learn how to set up a new routine due to closures of sports, leisure activities and gyms. The resilience to adapt to a new routine has enabled people to chase their goals.

Routine will always trump motivation.