Having a full and busy work schedule is very common. I, myself, work 24 hours at a time and find myself fighting the balance of work and fitness. After a stressful day at work, it can be difficult to find the discipline to hit the gym and put in even more work. While it’s definitely challenging, I’ve discovered a few things that help me balance the stress and time commitment of work while getting after my goals.
SCHEDULE IT AND STICK TO IT
Having a schedule for the gym just like you have in place for work is a great tool. By establishing a plan for your day/week you are more likely to stick to your goals. Having a planner or using your calendar on your phone with reminders is an awesome and easy way to stick to the plan you have in place. Be intentional with your planning. Find the accomplishments in completing your daily plan and even post a #HumbleBrag on your story after your workout to commemorate showing up for yourself.
KEEP THINGS INTERESTING
Many people lose interest because they get bored of their workout schedule or feel like they are on autopilot. An easy way to keep things exciting is by mixing up your cardio routine. Between hiking, running, HIIT, cycling, etc., there’s tons of ways to keep fitness fun. If you’re loving your current cardio or workout plan but are still just not feeling motivated, even just changing the location of your workouts or working out with a friend can help prevent that feeling of boredom.
SET YOURSELF UP FOR SUCCESS
Working towards your goals is a long-term journey. Don’t set your goals so far ahead of where you currently are to the point of setting yourself up for failure. If you are working on a plan that’s only 8 weeks don’t set goals that are unreasonable to reach for that time period. Then, once you crush that goal in the first 8 weeks, decide what the next goal for the following 8 weeks will be and continue this process throughout your journey. Also, your goal doesn’t have to be focused solely on hitting a number on the scale. Make at least one of your goals focused on something else like consistency. For instance, showing up for all 5 workouts during each week of the challenge is definitely something to be proud of!
GIVE YOURSELF SOME GRACE
Most importantly, remember none of us are perfect. There are going to be slip ups and off days. Hit reset! A new day is a new start. Trust yourself and the process.