I’m a clock watcher. When I’m working out, I want to know how much longer the torture will last. When I’m at work, I want to know when lunch is and when can I go home. At home I’m getting the kids to the bus, feeding everyone, and making sure they get to bed in time for a solid night’s sleep.
Whatever I am doing, I am watching the clock for the next thing that I need to get done.
I have been playing around with the best way to fit in my workout in each day. My morning routine is very predictable and when I follow it, my whole day just seems better. But I’m participating in a fitness challenge called GRIT. The workouts are intense. They are called 12 minutes of death. It’s no joke. I dread it. I watch the clock the entire time. Since I started the challenge I have been waiting until I get home after work to get my workout in. But the downside is that all day at work I dread going home to work out. I’m glued to the clock counting down the hours and then minutes until my workout. I put myself through a lot of mental BS all day long in anticipation of my workout.
Today I decided to change my morning routine and got up, got the kids on the bus and went right to the basement in my pajamas, put on a sports bra and sneakers and got my workout in. This had an interesting effect on the rest of my morning routine.
It changed the way I dressed for work. I usually go to work in my gym clothes so that when I get home, I don’t get sidetracked changing my clothes and then deciding to throw in some laundry or other things. Today, after my workout I showered, put on a pair of jeans and a nice shirt. It felt good to change my routine.
The second change I noticed was that I was not planning my whole day around coming home and working out. It turned off all the mental chatter about working out. I have not spent any time today arguing with myself about whether or not I want to work out. It’s already done.
I have adjusted my morning routine to include my workout and I can already see the benefits.
I’m a firm believer that routine is the key to staying on track with all of my goals. When I consistently stay on my routine, I’m making small incremental gains every day.
I know that when I stick to my routine it takes less effort to get the results I want. I spend less time stressing about whether or not to do something. If it’s in my routine, I know it will get done. I know when it will get done. No argument. Done.
