I'm going to tell you a secret you might not believe...I love Pilates, I teach Pilates, but sometimes I struggle to make time for exercise. It is so true, and I think it just makes me human, right? And something I find to be VERY true, in my own experience at least, is the weight of the saying "an object in motion stays in motion". I can be on a great path, a great rhythm, I'm moving I'm exercising...and then one small obstacle will come in my way, and suddenly I'm struggling to find my way back to what I know I love to do! Why is it so hard to stay consistent?!
I'll share what has worked for me. And I'll be honest-a lot of it all has to do with being honest about what season of life you are in RIGHT NOW, and knowing that life is constantly changing. The minute I start trying to compare myself to what I was doing 10 years ago let alone 2 months ago, frustration sets in and it's game over. Let go of what you think things are supposed to look like. Embrace wherever you are currently in life, and see how you can support yourself there.
OK-that's the ground work. Now here is the magic ingredient:
Know Your Why.
And your Why has to be something meaningful and personal to you.
The problem with so many of our "whys", are that they are too general and maybe a little bit too superficial. If we're being honest, a lot of times we feel motivated to exercise more when we feel we need to be a certain weight, or create a certain physique. This can be the motivation to really get you going, but more often than not, the motivation fizzles out and then we're left back at square one.
You gotta dig a little bit deeper for that Why. For me, one constant Why that I have, that will most likely carry on with me throughout motherhood, is the desire to feel healthy and energetic enough to keep up well with my little guy. I want to be the mommy that plays on the monkey bars and runs in the field. That will always be a strong Why for me.
Your Why needs to be what pulls you out of bed at 5:30AM on the morning when you DON'T want to get up and you've come up with 10 great excuses already as to why it's ok to skip this particular morning. We're so good at letting ourselves off the hook when it comes to working out! What will get you moving on this morning?
For a good part of last year, after a lot of losses in my family, my Why became what felt like literal survival. I needed to keep myself mentally healthy and my self-care became a vital priority for me. In this season, I knew for a fact that moving every day would help me stay present for the rest of my day. And during this season, I've honestly never been so committed to a workout program as I was then. My Why just felt so dang important. There was no excuse that could hold a candle to my Why, and for a good part of 2021, you better believe I was moving every day. I also noticed how, the more I practiced sticking to my Why, the easier it got to resist those temptations to skip the workout.
I find myself in an interesting season right now. My Why from last year doesn't feel as crucial as it once did. And that's good! I can see how time can heal, and I'm grateful for that. But I can also see how now my Why isn't holding up as well to my 5:30AM excuses...sometimes it's just too easy now to give in. So I need a new Why. My season is different, so my motivations need to change. I'll take some time to get real about what it is that is important to me right now in life.
If you're stuck on figuring out your Why still, or feeling like you're still grasping at what really motivates you, I'll give you a good one to start with. You are important and you are worth it! Making time for yourself to take care of yourself, and saying that it is a main priority, is so valuable. And it's that ripple effect, really. When you start showing up for yourself to move every day, without fail, simply because you matter that much, you'll see how it helps you expand in other areas of your life. You'll feel a little more confident, you'll feel accomplished, because you'll know you came through on a promise to yourself.
I encourage you to take 5 minutes today to stop what you're doing and think about your Why. Can you find something that feels deeply personal and powerful to you, that will get you moving when you'd really rather not? What couldn't you say no to? I truly hope this was helpful to you-and I hope you know that you are not alone in this struggle! This is such a common way we all get stuck. And if you'd like some accountability, let me know if I can help!
