Skipping a workout is a temptation for me when I’m having a super stressful day. It’s totally counterintuitive to skip it when I’m stressed out because doing the workout will actually reduce my stress when I’m done (I can’t half-ass a workout once I get started).
For that last few months whenever I’ve had the inkling to skip a workout I’ve heard the voice Jocko Willink saying, “not today.” That’s because a few months ago I came across his video How to SMASH DAYS When You Don’t Feel Like It. I have it open in window or tab on one of my devices almost all the time so that I can hit play when I need the reminder. I could write out the words he says, but it doesn’t have the same effect as hearing it in his voice.
Find Your Motivation Mantra
Jocko Willink isn’t going to appeal to everyone. His podcast and motivation tips work for me. Sharing his work isn’t the point of this post. The point is to find the mantra that motivates you when you don’t feel like working out, dealing with the annoying email, or knocking out one last batch of tasks that you’re tempted to push off to another day.