Self-Mastery. Nº4
The Easiest Way to Build, and Keep, Your Fitness.
Hey,
Welcome to your weekly issue of the JXN Newsletter — a timeless signal to create yourself, starting from the inside out.
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“Most people spend too much time focusing on what’s at the end of the tunnel rather than how to get through it.”
As a fitness coach, the most common problem I’ve seen is maintaining motivation. Even as an athlete myself, it’s something I’ve struggled with for two years now.
And that’s the thing. Being motivated is easy—in the beginning. But the million-dollar question is how to you stay motivated months, or even weeks, down the line?
But honestly, there is no “best” way to keep motivated. And motivation is not consistent enough to rely on. So instead, here’s one simple idea that I’ve found is far more reliable and beneficial to your fitness progress, whether you’re starting out or midway through.
Make what you do as fun and easy as possible.
“Love what you do, until you do what you love.”
To build a habit of exercising—or any habit for that matter, the best method is to make it so damn easy and fun that you don’t even consider it a challenge. For example:
Starting with a five-minute walk or jog.
Doing press-ups for one minute a day.
Riding your bike for 10-15 minutes a day.
The trick is to teach your mind to love the idea of exercise. It doesn’t matter what sport is, or how you do it, just make it easy and do it often.
With time and consistency, not only will you love this habit, but you will find it so easy that it will take minimal effort to keep it going.
At that point, start ramping it up in small steps. Add an extra five or ten minutes to your workout, and keep adding until you reach 30 minutes, or even one hour.
Once you’ve reached your perfect time target, start adding more intensity, increase the difficulty, and give yourself a fun challenge. This is how every habit should be created and developed. Make it easy. Make it fun. Do it often.
There are plenty more ideas that I have to help you, so stay tuned for more each week.
“When making plans, think big.
When making progress, think small.”
James Clear.
Learn
What I’ve learned this week
Building ourselves as a brand is not easy. And the hardest question we often have for ourselves is “what will make our customer choose me over someone else?”
The answer for most people is to have a niche; a specific market that plays to our strengths. But I’ve learned something much more significant.
I am a niche.
No matter what I do, or where I go in an industry, I am the unique market. There will never be someone who thinks, writes, or explores ideas the same way I do. And the same goes for me, you and everyone else.
We all have unique stories, propositions, and values that an audience cannot find from anyone else. That’s what makes us valuable.
For example, I bring a unique set of ideas, stories and thoughts to this newsletter, and I write in a unique, valuable way that’s specific to me. Nobody will replicate that, nor will I be able to replicate anyone else.
And that’s why a customer chooses you.
So if you’re going for any job, or setting up a business, and wondering what makes you different, it’s you. Nobody can find that anywhere else.
Explore
Never stop learning. I’ve recently published new articles on Medium. I’d love it if you could check them out below.
To Create Any Habit, Look For These Five Triggers
The 1% Rule for Compounding Good Habits
The Importance of Moving at Your Own Pace
Stay updated with me on Twitter, LinkedIn and Medium.
And have a fantastic week ahead.
—Jelani.