Prepare Tonight for Tomorrow's Workout

Getting started is tough. It is tough to start exercising. It is tough to start a different way of eating. It is tough to start any new habit. Heck, sometimes it is tough to start to get out of bed! Why is getting started so difficult? There are probably lots of reasons. One of the major reasons is inertia. A body at rest tends to stay at rest. Sitting on the couch tends to encourage sitting on the couch. One sedentary day tends to lead to the next. Ordering pizza tends to encourage ordering pizza. You get the idea. If getting started is so difficult, what can be done to make it easier?

Yes, a body at rest tends to stay at rest. However, the opposite is also true: A body in motion tends to stay in motion.

We can use that fact to increase the chance that we will succeed in our self-care plans. You might try this: tonight, take a bit of time to prepare to take better care of yourself tomorrow. If you plan to go for a morning walk tomorrow, tonight you could set out your walking clothes and shoes. If you want to eat a healthier lunch tomorrow, tonight you could gather the ingredients for lunch in one spot or pack your lunch. If you plan to call a friend you haven't talked to for a while, you may put the phone number and a favorite mug by the phone to remind you to sit down and have a cup of coffee or tea with your friend.

Before you can be successful with this evening preparation for your next day, you have to tune into your own biorhythms. You cannot force yourself to prepare for tomorrow at a time in the evening when you are exhausted. Think about your evening energy. When, in your evening, do you have the best energy for this kind of planning and preparation? For some people it will be right when they get home from work, like a ritual to end one workday and aim for the next. Some people would hate that timing. Perhaps your biorhythms indicate that you should use your preparation for tomorrow as part of your bedtime routine. This may help you relax before bedtime. Or this might make you start thinking about tomorrow and get stressed. You need to tune in to yourself and figure out what works best for you. We are all so different. You need to really notice how you feel. Experiment and assess the results of your experiments until you find the best time in your evening to get ready for tomorrow. Choose a time to implement your evening preparation when it will be a helpful, not a hurtful, part of your evening. When you find the right time, you will be more likely to prepare tonight for tomorrow's activities.

Once you have set out your shoes, or packed your lunch, or found your friend's phone number, or whatever ... what does that give you? Now you are in the middle of accomplishing your task or goal for tomorrow. You have already started! Now you are a body in motion, and you will tend to stay in motion. All you need to do is continue with what you have already begun and you will succeed at taking better care of yourself tomorrow.

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