Don't kick the can down the road

I’ve been thinking a lot about the concept of kicking the can down the road. Another way to think about that phrase might be “continuing to delay something that you know needs to get done”.

Our Quote of the Week at Rise a few weeks ago was “an inch of action goes farther than a mile of intention.” I think that quote speaks for itself. When I think of anyone I know who is successful in what they do, it’s because they took a chance, made an educated decision, and just went for it. I chose a handful of pictures to go along with this blog post, each of them for a reason. The first picture is one of our members holding up their first workout sign. This might be the most important workout a person does. It’s also the workout that our team of coaches gets the most excited about because it means that someone is taking a huge step forward for themselves. It’s not always easy to start, but the goal is to start moving and never stop moving.

However, a common issue I see is people pushing off that first workout because of one thing or another, or kicking the can down the road, so to speak. Eventually, they become motivated once again and think “now this is the time,” but as we all know, motivation is fleeting. They often end up with another excuse to delay. Something I commonly preach is this: You cannot count on motivation. You have to count on discipline. Utilizing accountability in the form of other people can be a huge help in keeping you committed and disciplined. Luckily, accountability is built into the programs we’ve created at Rise with coaches who check in with you regularly, especially if they notice you skipping workouts.

Being successful in the gym isn’t easy, but it is simple. Once you get that first workout in, you just have to keep showing up, week by week. Some days it feels great to walk in the door and work out, and other days it is extremely difficult to get yourself to do it. But for the people who succeed, they show up on both types of days. I can promise you that if you can get yourself in the door and do the first 2 minutes of the workout, odds are you will feel great and accomplished by the end of it. And before you know it, you will have hit 250 workouts.

By the time you reach 250, you will have established successful habits long ago and solid routines to keep you heading in the right direction. You’ll just keep showing up, on the easy days and the hard days, and before you know it, you’ll hit 500 workouts.

I promise you that you will never regret a workout. I often tell people that if you can get in the gym and do 3 workouts a week for 52 weeks, you’ll total 156 workouts in just one year. I guarantee that you will be proud of yourself and your body will thank you.

The reason I wrote this and added pictures of gym members is to show you that this can be done. It is being done over and over and over again at Rise. But the hardest part of it is in the very beginning: scheduling that first visit and walking in the door. I’m telling you, don’t kick the can down the road.

If you need even more encouragement, here it is: Take action and just start. It doesn’t have to be perfect. Stop seeing why something can’t work or why you can’t make it happen. After 12 years of coaching, I have heard every excuse in the book:

“I can’t make the time”
“I can’t afford it”
“My spouse isn’t on board”
“I can’t get out of bed”
“My boss won’t let me leave 10 minutes early to make it”

I don’t mention these excuses to make anyone feel bad. I mention them because the people that have success decide to change the script at a certain point. Instead of the “I can'ts”, they start asking themselves:

How can I make this work?
How can I adjust my schedule?
How can I adjust my budget?
How can I adjust my nutrition habits?
How can I explain why I need to do this to my spouse?
What can I give up?
What can I add in?

Once your mindset changes to be like the examples above, you’ll find yourself at 1,000 workouts before you know it! Consistency, discipline, effort, and accountability are what it takes. And it all starts at that very first workout.

If you are ready to take the leap and start, reach out here to schedule your Free Fitness Consultation with a Rise coach.