Before my ankle broke earlier this week, I had gotten into a pretty decent routine of getting up at 4:30 AM in the morning and going to the gym. It was by far one of the most fulfilling things I did in the day, and naturally I was super proud of myself.
I possibly cannot express upon you how much I love working out. Even though I started off at absolute zero (read a beginner workout would be a challenge for me), I have been dedicated enough to show up consistently, and make progress, no matter how slow it comes.
And yet, no matter how much I love being at the gym, I have found it hard to actually physically get to the gym. There have been days when I have simply given up on going, making all sorts of excuses. Then there have been days where I pushed myself to go regardless of how reluctant I felt, and then thanking myself for it the moment the first whiff of the air freshener at the gym hit my face.
On retrospection, I realise that whether I reached the gym that day or not came down to one particular moment about 20 minutes before I actually stepped foot in the gym.
It was that one decision, after I freshened up and got back to my room, to either put my contact lenses on straightaway, or rest on my bed for a few minutes first. If I put on my contacts, I would then naturally proceed to changing into workout clothes, and in no time I would find myself parking my car outside the gym. Instead, if I sat on my bed, I would open up my phone, most likely scroll for a few minutes, and then eventually end up staying at home, telling myself some story of how not going today made sense.
It was literally just that- putting on my contact lenses = me working out that day.
I became aware of this pattern of mine while reading Atomic Habits by James Clear (a book that probably even the non-book-lovers have heard about). The message hit home the moment I read it, and I was compelled to write about it.
Essentially, there are these tiny but critical moments scattered throughout your day, where your choices determine what the rest of your day looks like. The first choice you make limits your options for the next one, and so each choice you make determines your next.
There is a beautiful pictorial from the book that illustrates this.
When I get back home from college each day, I face another decisive moment- I could either slump into my favourite part of the living room, or I could go upstairs to my room. More often than not, I choose the former. I get comfortable on the sofa, switch on the television and also my phone screen. By the time I get out of there (if I do not fall asleep that is), it is time for dinner, and then time to sleep. If instead I head to my room, it is more likely that I would get some studying done. But that is rare :P. This is something I would actually start working on now that I have become aware of it.
There is yet another fork in the road that in fact influences the flow of my next day. At around 9 PM, I could either put a nice audio on and go to sleep, or I could open Youtube, where I am usually lost in rabbit hole. My ability to get up early the next day is affected by this choice.
Similarly, you can identify such moments in your days that guide what kind of routines you get habituated with in your lives. If you struggle with hitting snooze repeatedly, the choice of keeping your phone at a distance from you when you sleep the night before can be decisive. Choosing to put the eggs in the boiler before you get into the shower could mean you eventually eat a healthier breakfast even on a time crunch. Very small (aka atomic) decisions could have very significant impact on your day.
I believe it comes down to whether you are really willing enough to make those choices in the given moments. Most of these actions require no more than a minute or two, but they decide the course of the hours to follow thereafter.
Hope this helps! Good day!
P.S.- The Atomic Habits is a fantastic book, filled with practical gems. I have been enjoying reading it so far, would definitely recommend, and possibly write a review/summary of my top takeaways on the blog 😀
5 Comments
Pulkit · December 17, 2022 at 4:17 pm
Oiii ❤️❤️
Aditi Baid · December 17, 2022 at 6:00 pm
Very beautifully written! So realistic thoughts.
Mridula · December 17, 2022 at 6:40 pm
Thank you so much! ❤️
Bismill · December 17, 2022 at 6:43 pm
I have read atomic habits in 2019 but now i am reading the one thing by gary keller in which he teach about the will power.
Our will power is limited that’s why when we do some high energy task then we feel less energy to spend on another task,
So how do you manage your energy after doing work out in the morning for another task like study, job, etc
Don’t you think we should spend most of our energy on our most imp task(the one thing).
So how can we manage our important task on the basis of our will power as atomic habits tells only about habit creation.
Mridula · December 17, 2022 at 7:05 pm
Interesting question. Couple of things.
1. For me, working out is one of my priorities.
2. There are many many reasons for that, but one of the reasons is that exercising over long term improves your mental health and boosts your energy levels. I’ve felt this myself.
So regularly working out actually gets you more physical strength, health, the ideal headspace and good concentration for the other tasks you want to do.
I completely agree with the idea of having limited willpower. In fact that is the reason why forming routines with small habits helps- so you don’t have to rely on motivation to get the work done everyday.
But with exercise in particular, you can’t overlook the fact that exercise itself has so many positive benefits to your overall productivity and will power.
Hope that makes sense.
And I’m a morning workout kinda person. I’ve tried other times, doesn’t suit me. It might be different for all 😀