The Key to Success: Doing it When You Want to, and When You Don’t

I enjoy running outside probably more than any other exercise. This summer, I joined a running group made up of women whom all love running more than I do to help keep me motivated. I signed up for a 5K next month, but not just any old 5K, one where I’ll be running away from zombies who’ll try their best to take me down. So with my love of running, and all of my external motivation, you would think that I would be chomping at the bit to get moving every day.

Waiting for the right feeling…wrong idea

Not true. Sometimes I’m really into it. I can’t wait until running club rolls around. Other times I just feel like I would rather be sitting around on the couch, or talking to friends or doing just about anything other than running. But I run anyway. I do it when I want to, and I do it when I don’t want to. Slowly but surely, it is becoming something that I just do.

The reality is that I can always come up with a lot more reasons why not to do something I don’t want to do, than I can to the contrary, but if I wait around to “feel” like doing the right thing, well, if it hasn’t happened yet, why would it happen later?

Waiting for the right conditions…not gonna happen

I realize that in order for me to reach my goals, I cannot wait for the right conditions to exist to get me moving in the right direction. I can’t wait until I have enough time. I can’t wait for the weather to change. I can’t wait until after that one last cookout to eat that one last brownie. And I certainly can’t wait to “feel” like I want to get off the couch and put down the nachos.

The truth is that I will always be busy. There will always be rainy days. There will always be another cookout. And I would always rather being doing something else than spending time trying to get fit.

Waiting for the right time…’Just Do It!’

The moment I’m waiting for is never going to come. So I don’t wait for it. When I hear that little voice that says “wouldn’t you rather be having a glass of wine?,” I cut off Judge Judy. I get off the phone. I put my writing away and I tell my husband that I’ll be back. And I just do it. If I can’t do it for an hour, I do it for a half, sometimes I do it for 15 minutes, but I do it. And I haven’t regretted it yet.

Just like anything else in our lives, there is no “right” time to start getting active. We have to create those moments for ourselves. So if you are sitting around waiting for the right time, knowing that it isn’t about to come, it’s time to ask yourself “What am I really waiting for?”

Question: What are you waiting for?  What do you want to do, that you know is beneficial to you, that you just need to do?  Please share in the comment section below.