Did you have a good exercise routine during COVID? (If you answered yes, feel free to keep that to yourself!)
My exercise routine was more like an exercise in frustration. I tried yelling at myself to get moving, but that didn't work. I begged and pleaded with myself, unsuccessfully. I treated myself to an in-home "trainer" with a Peloton app subscription, a success story that lasted all of 3 weeks.
Nothing seemed to stick, and my meager motivation became increasingly discouraging. I desperately needed help, and turned to the book Atomic Habits by James Clear.
Here's the simple but profound idea I learned: I'll be more intrinsically motivated to do an activity if it is connected to my identity. Let me explain how I'm applying that bit of wisdom.
An important aspect of my identity is being athletic. I love how my body feels when it is moving and the activity enriches my life.
In contrast, telling myself to exercise isn't part of my identity. Worse, it's nothing more than a command, and I don't like being bossed around. No wonder I'm not exercising.
Now, here's where the picture comes in: I recently went climbing with my niece and nephew, and you know what happened? Low and behold, exercise was nowhere to be seen because I'd tapped into two meaningful parts of my identity: aunt and athlete.
The lesson I learned in a nutshell....drum roll, please...screw exercise, and instead, tap into the best parts of yourself!
Thanks, Terra Firma. Your space and people are awesome!
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