How My Morning Workout Brought Many Takeaways on Showing Up
One workout triggered many lessons in how we approach our goals.
I didn’t really feel like going to the gym this morning. My toddler woke me up super early, my oldest was late for school, and I didn’t feel mentally prepared for the high intensity workout class I’d planned for the morning. The elements of this day were one thing, but I also felt like I needed to work up to this particular workout a bit more. Like, I wasn’t yet “fit” enough to be doing a class of this caliber.
Another kicker was that I knew rain was forecast, and I didn’t want to be leaving the gym in the rain. I had all of these excuses and beliefs for myself… it would have been easy to brush off the gym that day. But then I snapped myself out of this limiting mindset. I needed to go for it (coffee may have been involved in my change of heart, too). I turned self-doubt into a pep-talk, and told myself I could do the modifications or I could even leave a little early if I felt I really needed to. I needed to at least show up.
As I started the workout, it took all of 5 minutes (if that) for me to feel so happy that I was there. The movement felt good and the songs were on point. My energy and excitement immediately increased. I was having fun!
About 10 minutes in, I could see the rain pouring down outside of the window. The storm came and went. It didn’t affect me. Beforehand, I’d counted it as a major excuse as to why I shouldn’t go exercise. But it ended up just making those studio lights shine brighter.
About 20 minutes in, a difficult track began. I knew the modifications, and mixed them in with the more intense moves. As I went into intense mode, I was proud of myself. I kept pushing, but also just honored my body when I felt I needed a quick modification. This boosted my self confidence much more than the limited beliefs I had pre-workout. I was doing my best, doing what felt right as I continued to go for it, and made myself proud in the process.
About 45 minutes in, we started cooling down. I felt great. I’d made myself proud, felt stronger, and even had a blog post idea to show for this experience. I left with more clarity and in a much more positive mood. I continued in that spirit for the rest of the day, and let me tell you, I got so much done. I approached my to-dos with a better mindset, which made a world of difference in my productivity and outcomes.
When we have so much happening on our to-do list, we’re more likely to pass on the things that we deem as self-care. But these things that bring us joy and energy are so incredibly important to our productivity as entrepreneurs.
Do something that makes you happy today, and don’t talk yourself out of it. Do something to minimize overthinking, to increase your knowledge on something, or to inspire you around a topic you’re interested in. You will be glad you did!
