I've lately been astonished at the mind games I have to play with myself to get myself to exercise every day. I can't believe I have to use reverse psychology on MYSELF. And that it works.
Last week, I had to tell myself that it was fine if I didn't exercise. Ok, let's go on with the day. No exercising. I went to the bedroom to change into gardening clothes. Are you really gonna do this? kept running through my head. Really. Really. I changed into exercise clothes and exercised.
Some days I tell myself that I'll just start with the first 1/2 hour and when I'm tired I'll quit. This one even I recognize as a trick when I'm trying it on myself. Once I start the routine, I'll always finish. There is no stop. It's not finishing that is the problem. It's starting.
Remember the cartoon with the devil and the angel perched on someone's shoulders? My approach reminds me of that. I have to give the devil his due (literally, even as cliched as that may be) before I can motivate myself. The bad has to come out and be acknowledged before the good prevails. How sad is that?
Yesterday, I had a sleep issue. The alarm goes off at 6, and D and I hit the floor to our respective "gyms." I decided I had all day to get done, so I'd go back to sleep. Woke refreshed, looked at the clock, and wow, it was 15 minutes later. I ask you--15 minutes? I might as well have just gotten up and gotten on with it.
My other trick is to promise myself a reward at the end. Usually this takes the form of a bubble bath. It's not like I can offer myself eggs benedict or some other high calorie/high fat reward. The reward needs to be tangible and yet calorie free. And cheap. If I quit liking bubble bath, I'll be in serious trouble.
I'm glad all these little mind games work, but I find it disheartening, too. Why can't I do this because it's good for me and will help me in the end? Why isn't that enough of a reward? Why is it so hard to convince myself to do something in my own self-interest? I'm astonished at the number of ways human beings do not understand what's good for them. How something "in the long run" is a difficult and sometimes impossible concept.
But the mind games worked for another day. Check an hour of exercise off the list.
