starting a fitness journey: phase 1 – identify your “why?”

I have started my fitness journey 50 times. FIFTY TIMES!

I know you’re thinking that is just an exaggeration, and it could be, but when I think about it, it could also be super accurate. It really just depends what you consider to be a start and stop of a journey.

When I think about how many times I’ve said “I need to start working out” and then workout for a few days and stop, I get frustrated, annoyed, and disappointed in myself. I think about how far I could be in my journey if I had just stuck with it the first time. If I would have had the motivation to stay on track with my plans, then, I’d be in such great shape now. I’m sure of it.

But that’s not how it happened.

My current fitness journey dates back to March 18, 2020. Yes, I know the exact day.

It was the first day that I was alone once the world shut down due to COVID. My husband (boyfriend at the time) was deemed essential and was still going to work. I was home alone, with my pups of course, bored, with nothing to do, nowhere to go, and no end in sight of this COVID madness.

My anxiety decided that this would be a great time to lose it’s f&#@ing mind and send me into complete panic mode. To date, I can say that it one of the worst anxiety attacks I have ever had.

The trick with my anxiety attacks is to take my mind off of whatever is setting me off. Again, I was locked in a house with absolutely nothing to do… except to work out. Fortunately, I was the owner of a Beachbody membership… meaning that while the rest of the world was stressing out because their gyms were close, I simply had to walk into my living room, turn on the TV, and press play on a workout video.

I worked out to keep my mind at peace.

Eventually, as the world began to open up, my anxiety cooled down, and I was no longer working out to keep from stressing. This is when my workouts became not as consistent; I started taking a few more rest days and was becoming content with missing a workout that I had planned. I was proud of the progress I had made in my own personal strength, and was determined to not lose that.

I needed more motivation.

Again, this workout journey started because my anxiety was crazy because of COVID. This was a great reason to workout, but I needed a more long-term reason. Something to keep me motivated for longer.

This is when I established my “why?”

My “why?”

It sounds funny, doesn’t it. Like, grammatically incorrect or something. Feels weird saying it.

When I talk about ‘my “why?”‘, I’m referring to the reason that I have chosen to live life on a fitness journey. It’s what makes me push play on a Beachbody program when I think I’m too tired to workout. My “why?” is the motivation I need to make healthier choices.

As I said before, I needed a reason that wasn’t as temporary as working out to “keep my anxiety over COVID at bay”. Sure, I could say I want to workout to deal with my anxiety in general, not just COVID related, but the problem with that is that I don’t experience traumatizing anxiety attacks every day. In fact, they are significantly less frequent when I am working out.

I needed a permanent “why?”.

I bought a cute new journal to write in and I came up with some goals I had. I started with some short term goals, and eventually came up with some long term goals. On the list of long term goals were a million little things that had to do with one, big goal:

Being a mom.

I want to be a mom with all of my soul. Not just a regular mom; a super cool and healthy mom that can hang out with her kids and play and be here for them as long as possible.

Yes – my “why?” is to be healthy for some kids I don’t even have yet.

And as ridiculous as it may seem, I am 100% about it. It’s long term, and it keeps me making healthy decisions every day.

Time to create your “why?”

If you’re ready to start a fitness journey – or really any journey – I suggest following this list on creating your “why?” so that you’re more likely to stay on your journey. Creating your “why?” will also help redirect you if ever you fall off your path.

1. Buy a journal

I went through a lot of paper when creating and recreating my “why?”.

(I purchased this notebook from Amazon. It’s a good size and supes cute which really makes you want to write in it)

2. Brainstorm/write what is important to you

Self explanatory.

3. Choose the most important thing, and create a “why?”

Whatever you decide is the most important thing to you, make that your “why?”. For example, if your family is the most important thing to you, how will beginning your journey affect them? How do they affect your journey?

Once you’ve decided your “why?”, write it in a complete sentence, on its own, blank page in your notebook.

You can even decorate the page after, because why not make it pretty?

4. Read your “why?” everyday

I think this is the most important step to staying on your journey. Seeing the work you put in to creating your “why?” reminds you of how important this is to you. It’s the perfect motivation.

5. Share your “why?” with me

Obviously, this is optional. But I would love to know your “why?” and would love to check in from time to time and see how your journey is progressing.

Once you are done creating your why and are ready to start on your fitness journey, come back here to read about Phase 2!

Good luck to you!

xoxo – Jasmine