How many times have you heard someone say “I’ll start exercising on Monday”, or “from Monday onwards I am going back to eating healthy food – this is my last blow out!”?
How many times have YOU made a statement like that?
I know I have! So many times!
Just this week I had a client text me on Tuesday feeling really motivated with a 28 day program she wanted to try and a plan to do ‘day 1′ that day and then work through ‘day 2’ in her PT session on Wednesday. Somehow things didn’t go to plan for her on Tuesday, so when I messaged her Wednesday morning to confirm our session plan she responded with “I haven’t started properly yet, I will just start the program next Monday”. My response was, WHY WAIT FOR MONDAY? That’s 5 extra days you would just be treading water, waiting to start working on your goal and waiting to feel fitter and healthier! As a result my client came in for PT on that Wednesday and Thursday, and we smashed through day 1 and 2 of her new program and set her up to work through the following days over the weekend. As she left yesterday she thanked me for giving her that push to start straight away, and she said she felt great and had no idea why she felt like she needed to wait until Monday! As a coach there is nothing better than knowing you have helped energise and motivate someone to make healthy changes!
But why do we always feel like we need to start new habits on a Monday?
Maybe it’s because most life commitments start Mondays – school, the standard working week etc. Or maybe it’s because we know the weekend comes with too many temptations to go out and indulge in drinks and unhealthy food or lounge around in the couch in front of the TV. But when you think about starting a new exercise program or making an effort to eat healthier it makes no sense to start on Monday! A lot of people already struggle with that classic Mondayitis, so trying to resist a habitual 3pm chocolate bar or motivate yourself to exercise before or after work could seem all too difficult. Plus, if you haven’t stocked the fridge with healthy food and organised your meals chances are you will get home at the end of the day and be tempted to just resort to old habits.
But what if you were to start on the weekend? Wake up feeling refreshed on a Saturday morning, go for a walk to get your body moving then sit down to work out a meal plan for the coming week before heading to the supermarket to stock the cupboards. Then you feel motivated for the rest of the weekend – you have time to dedicate to exercise on Sunday, and time to prepare some healthy lunches for the week ahead. Plus, by the time Monday comes around you are already feeling good about the last couple of days and resisting those temptations is just that little bit easier!
Even if you slip up and miss a gym session or can’t resist a slice of cake being passed around at work that’s okay.. you’re human! If things don’t go to plan on a Tuesday there is no reason you have to give up hope and spend the next 6 days waiting for Monday to come around so you can start again. Just pick up where you left off and try to make your next choice a healthier one. Let’s abandon this idea of always having to start on a Monday – choose to make small efforts every day to improve your lifestyle and better your body and choose to start now!