Kay:

Hey there, Questers – welcome back! It’s September 2nd and this is Episode 173. Today, we have a quote that might seem familiar to you because you’ve probably seen it on that motivational poster up in the gym…

Shi:

And it says, “The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.”

Kay:

I almost feel like I can hear the man grunting and then the bar being thrown down.

Shi:

Right? That smell of sweat, and chlorine, and bleach and ALL of those gym smells. “The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.” I mean, this is a great…It’s specific, obviously, to health and fitness, but it, of course, applies across all kinds of different genres of our life too! And, you thinking about progress (eventually) equalling happiness, alongside, “The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do,” means that if you’re just making a little progress, you could be happy with where you’re headed!

Kay:

Well, we often see this up in the gym because we think about a workout in the way of that physical sense, but you can do mental workouts too! Oh, we have had a major emotional workout in 2020…I am so emotionally fit after this year because it’s been so crazy!

Shi:

Yep.

Kay:

You go through enough, you just become more fit over time. So, it’s the same thing – if someone deals with trauma or the loss of a loved one – you become more emotionally fit and capable over time because you do hard things. Now, a workout, a physical workout, is something you do intentionally and, obviously, there are ways to intentionally build your character, ways to build your leadership, and ways to build your skills as a human. And so, a workout doesn’t necessarily have to be in the physical sense, it’s really any time that you’re intentionally skill-building.

Shi:

Well, Tony Robbins tells a funny story about lots of folks in our country, and around the world, relating to wanting to lose some weight. And he says – oftentimes what will happen is someone says, “All right, I need to be on this fitness journey. I got to lose some weight.” And, then they go into planning mode, right?… “I got to have the best trainer and I got to have the best plan.”

Kay:

“And the shoes!”

Shi:

… “I got to do research, a LOT of research!…Yeah. I’ve got to find the right shoes, got to test out the shoes. And then, I got to get it all lined up and test out gyms and do the research and the pros and cons!” And, Tony says, “Whoa, Whoa, WHOA! At that point we’re overthinking it. You just need someone behind you yelling: RUN! Right?” Because, that’s all you really need, is to just get started and then you can build that muscle and get more fit through training. But you won’t get fit from not acting, not actually taking the steps, not putting on the shoes, or even arriving at the gym. I know, I’ve arrived at the gym before and done 15 minutes and been like, “I am just OUT,” and I didn’t want to be there, but you try to build that muscle so that you can have that habit, which ultimately unlocks you to freedom.

Kay:

Yep! And, if you’re already down the path and your habit is already well established, maybe this is a wake-up call to have it be a little bit harder, and to push yourself to that next level. But, remember, building those daily habits is where you find happiness! It’s not like – BOOM – I arrive at some goal someday and I’m happy. From a science perspective, just the physical endorphins and the chemicals that get released in your body when you complete a task that you intentionally set out to do, are really good for you. And, exercising, in particular, also releases a lot of really great chemicals for you. And so, little bits of progress, in a disciplinary habit, especially around exercise – from both a physical, emotional, and mental standpoint – can be extremely beneficial for you!

Shi:

So, if you’re like, “All right, I need to just start getting little workouts,” we have two quick hacks for you. One is, (you’ve probably heard us talk about it before), the five second rule from Mel Robbins. The five second rule is all about the biological science behind the fact that you do have five seconds between thinking, “I should do something,” before your brain kicks in to say, “Nope, keep you at safety. Maintain status quo. Don’t take that action,” and starts listing all your justifications…You’ve got this five second window to take action and circumvent all that willpower of getting yourself motivated, if you can just get your feet on the ground, and get moving in that direction! So, use that five second rule, and, if you think to yourself, “I should get a workout in,” just get up right in that second, get the shoes on, and just get started!

Shi:

The second quick hack for you is to, (if you’re not feeling like getting your workout in, but you’re trying to get yourself motivated to go), one of the things that I like to use is tricking my brain and telling myself, “I’ll just let myself do 30 minutes today. I’ll just run three miles instead of the six. I deserve to take a break. I can do that.” Because, you know what happens when you get to mile three is, you’re like, “Well, shoot. I could do another 30 minutes, and I want those endorphins at the end of knowing that I completed what it was that I can do.” Because, now I’m already three miles in and it’s a lot easier to say ‘yes’ to the second three miles. So, maybe, use that little Ninja trick on your brain, if you’re looking for some help sometimes!

Kay:

And, you know, just last week, I went to the gym and gave myself a 30 minute option and I exercised the 30 minute option too!

Shi:

Mm-hmm!

Kay:

But, from an empowered space, and was right back at the gym the very next morning to keep the habit going. So, sometimes it’s about just getting your shoes on, and even if you’re not going to do the whole walk around the block, maybe you just walk out down the length of your driveway and back to your bed. The little actions swing really, really big doors…Little hinges, swing big doors! So ,just a reminder gang, “The only bad workout is the one you didn’t do.”

Shi:

And, that means it’s #WorkoutWednesday, and a #WorkoutWednesday Quest! Get a workout in today….even if it’s only for five minutes! It’s time to get a little heart rate going, and maybe a couple of beads of sweat on your forehead. You will get that endorphin rush, and it will feel SO good! Are you ready?

Kay & Shi:

Let’s Quest!