finding your routine

“YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO, NOT WHAT YOU SAY YOU’LL DO.”

–GARY JOHN BISHOP

Now that you’ve got several exercises you can do, and you know how to do them, to me, the next logical step is to figure out when to do it. I’ve never been able to find any consistency without a definitive routine.

There have been so many times in my life, before this experiment, when I promised myself, I would exercise at some point that day. I had good intentions, but I got busy or sidetracked doing “important things.” And at the end of the day, I had a great excuse; I just didn’t have the time. Back when I didn’t have a definitive routine, the only consistency I seemed to have was my battle with time, or lack thereof.

Our routines are our own. What works for me, may not work for you, and vice versa. It took me a while to figure out that exercising after work didn’t work for me. I’m a morning person and I like to get my workout in before work. Now, you’re the captain of your ship so you do you. It might take you some time to figure out what works best for you, but that’s fine.

how to build an exercise routine

my simple five-day exercise routine

Here’s my five-day routine: I wake up, drink my coffee while I work on my blog, meditate, stretch/warm up, exercise, shower, and go to work. I work a swing shift, so when I get home, I go right to bed so I can get up early and do it again. Now I’m not telling you this because I love telling you about every detail of my life. I’m telling you this because I want you to see exactly what I’m doing day in, and day out. You might be thinking, Kevin, your routine is rigid and boring. And maybe it is. James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits said, “The only way to become excellent is to be endlessly fascinated by doing the same thing over and over. You have to fall in love with boredom.”

My two days off are spent spending time with my son, yardwork, house cleaning, laundry, connecting with friends and family, and relaxing. I was about to say that I chose not to work out at all on those two days. But it’s interesting how I’ll find myself going for a walk or something just for fun or because it just feels good.

how to make exercise a daily habit

After several years of consistent exercise, my routine has evolved from no exercise to forming an exercise habit to making exercise part of my identity. Once you’ve formed an identity, exercise becomes as natural as waking up, showering, and brushing your teeth. Once you’re there, you own it.

If you’ve come this far with me, you’ve probably read about how I started out with one set of push-ups that took about two minutes.  A big part of that deal I made with myself was that I would stop after that one set of push-ups. Even if I felt like doing a bit more, I stopped there. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but it worked. It left me feeling hungry to do it again the next day. Now, if I decided to do five minutes the next day, I would, with the same stipulation that after five minutes, I was done for the day.  You might be saying to yourself, really Kevin, two minutes or five minutes isn’t going to do me a damn bit of good. I can tell you from personal experience that those short workouts were a lot of things; they were a start, they were better than nothing, and they were the beginning of the formation of a habit. 

I’ve said before that I don’t know everything about exercising or anything else for that matter. But I can absolutely promise you that those very short workouts changed my life forever. That's where my journey started, with a decision to try something different, and a two-minute commitment.

One of the nice things I’ve found about getting older is, I’m starting to understand myself a little better. I’ve made a conscious effort to stop fighting who I am and start accepting myself as I am. It’s quite liberating actually. As I experimented with how much time I was exercising, I knew that if I bit off more than I could chew, I would quit like I had done so many times in the past. In other words, I didn’t want to get cocky and start doing hour-long workouts or longer like I used to. My old thinking was the longer you work out, the better; makes sense right? Actually, for me, that couldn’t be more wrong. I eventually realized that I’d be much better off if I did many shorter workouts over a long period of time, than try longer workouts and eventually quit. Shorter workouts over years cumulatively add up way more than longer workouts for a few months. And that’s how I formed a habit and eventually an identity.

Over the years, as my time spent exercising incrementally increased, I came to another realization. I needed to cut some of the bullshit out of my life. In other words, I had to decide what was more important: staying up late, waking up late, binge-watching Netflix, or exercising and documenting it in this blog. I’ve chosen the latter. Now I’m not saying I’ve given up on some occasional television time. But nowadays, I’d rather stop at a couple of episodes rather than binging an entire season. It’s funny, I’m having more fun now with this boring, rigid routine than I ever did with my “fun lifestyle.” Who’d have thought.

consistency is more IMPORTANT THAN motivATION

I’d be lying if I said I’m raring to go every morning with maximum enthusiasm. My attitude towards exercising ebbs and flows just like everyone else. In fact, there are days when I’m really not feeling it. When every fiber of my being is saying hell no. I’ve found those days to be the ones I absolutely need to do something. Even if it’s just one set of push-ups or a ten-minute walk. I’ve learned that pushing through those days is where an identity begins to form. It’s sort of like your brain realizes, ok, he’s that guy now. Ain’t no point in trying to make up excuses; he’s doing this come hell or high water. You might be thinking, but Kevin, haven’t you regressed? You were doing way more than one lousy set of push-ups or a wimpy walk. On the contrary, this is where black-and-white thinking can be poisonous. If I'm thinking all or nothing here, knowing me, I very well may have chosen nothing. And a little something is always better than nothing. That day could have been a nothing day. Instead, it was a something day. And in my book, that’s a major win.

There are rare times when you can’t avoid missing a day. Sometimes life punches you in the face, and there’s nothing you can do except roll with it. It’s fine; just get back on the horse as soon as possible. Don’t let one missed day turn into two. It’s amazing how quickly the ball can get rolling in the wrong direction if you let it. It’s up to you not to let it.

Basketball was a big part of my life growing up. Coaches always stressed the importance of a good routine. From going to bed, waking up, and practicing at the same time. To the small details like a free throw routine. Watch any good-to-great player on the free throw line, and he or she will do the exact same routine every time. It’s the same with golf. Watch a professional golfer on television and his or her pre-shot routine will be like clockwork.

why an exercise routine matters

So, why are routines so important?  One reason is that it relaxes us and makes us feel comfortable. We tend to perform better when we’re relaxed and comfortable. And when you’re in that positive state of mind, we can get into a flow state or what some people call the zone. When you're in the zone in a basketball game, the hoop looks like it’s big enough to drive a truck through. In golf, power and precision seem effortless. Everything is easy. It’s the same with an exercise routine. For example, after I finish my coffee and blogging, I know it’s meditation time. And then I’m right into my stretching, warm-up, and exercising. In that order. I don’t even have to think about it. One thing flows right into the next, easily and effortlessly. I’m like some sort of Pavlovian dog; just ring the bell, and I’m salivating.

So, how is your routine going to go? Are you a morning person or do you get stuff done after work? It doesn’t matter. The thing that matters most is creating a routine and sticking to it. And don't spend a lot of time in your head trying to figure out what the perfect routine is. Think about it a little and then act a lot. Remember, nothing is perfect and details change and evolve over time anyway.

summary

“IT’S NOT WHAT WE DO ONCE IN A WHILE THAT SHAPES OUR LIVES, BUT WHAT WE DO CONSISTENTLY.”   —TONY ROBBINS

As you can probably tell by now, I feel very strongly about having a solid routine. I feel like it’s absolutely critical if you are going to have consistency.

Speaking for myself, control in life often feels like an illusion. I could get fired from my job, be in a car wreck on the way home from work, etc. Tomorrow is promise to no one.

Exercise, however, is one of the few things in my life that I feel like I have control over. I get to choose. No one can take it away from me. It’s mine. It’s a powerful and freeing feeling. And for this, I’m extremely grateful.

I sincerely look forward to hearing your story if that’s something you would like to share. I know I have so much to learn. Thanks for following!