Knowing and Doing: Time To Close That Gap
Knowing something and doing it are entirely different stories. For instance, many of us know how to boil spaghetti noodles. However, putting the knowledge into the action needed to make an excellent spaghetti dinner every time isn’t as easy as knowing how to do it.
Sticking to fitness routines isn’t always easy. We live in a busy world, leaving us with so many things competing for our attention, from family and daily life to work and technical difficulties. Being pulled in various directions can leave our health and fitness on the back burner.
Why Is It Hard For People To Follow Through With Fitness?
Some might say that a lack of motivation. But is motivation truly the most essential component of fitness success?
Motivation is a desire to make behavioral changes and the willingness to DO so. Yes, we indeed have a desire and the willingness to make necessary changes. However, motivation isn’t always going to help us continue pushing forward when we encounter obstacles in our way.
Self-discipline is another essential trait those of us who make behavioral changes possess. Self-discipline is the ability to direct ourselves toward accomplishing our goals. It is also the capacity we need to take the steps necessary to get from goal A to goal B.
Self-Discipline vs. Motivation
Motivation is the desire to act to reach a goal. We can want to get into shape while we lay in bed at night thinking about the benefits we could receive. However, if we wake up tired, we might skip out on our recently laid fitness plan, which leads us to the topic of self-discipline.
Self-discipline is a must for reaching any goals, including health and fitness. Our self-discipline pushes us to get up early enough, so we have time to work out whether we’re tired or not. It makes us follow through on the days we lose our motivation.
That being said, motivation is essential for those beginning steps, but be warned, it’s fleeting. Self-discipline is something permanent.
Self-discipline might be something we’re born with, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work our way to acquire it. We can’t allow our emotions and feelings to impede our goals. The truth is, almost everyone has the self-discipline to go to work every day because there’s a structured commitment, with the reward of monetary gain.
We have to be our own “boss” and schedule our workouts into our regular routine, or we might not continue reaching for our goals. The gain may not be monetary, but the value is much higher than dollars; it improves our health and wellness. If we call out of work a couple of days a month, we won’t make as much money as we could have, and we might lose our job.
Calling out of our own fitness schedule will leave us further away from reaching our goals and keep us at a potentially lower physical and mental health level. It’s our own abundance we will miss out on when we skip out on our fitness practices.
We KNOW our health and fitness are essential. It’s whether we’re actually going to DO what we know is right for ourselves. Knowing is only a half of the equation; if we want results, we have to put the knowledge into action and maintain a routine for success.