This month I started to work on the habit of regular exercise. The first couple of days I was sick in bed, but by the 5th day I was due to go to the gym for a body balance class. Hubby walked in the door 20mins before the class started, and I started telling him about the day, getting him dinner etc. I really didn’t feel like going to the gym, so was hopng it would be “too late” to go by the time he remembered. Oops. (Naughty me!)
10 minutes before the class was to start, hubby turns to me and out comes the dreaded question, “Aren’t you meant to go to gym tonight?”…. [pause]
and then the excuses started tumbling out….
– I’m still full from dinner, I’ll be sick (’cause gentle stretches upset the tummy so much)
– I’m not dressed to go, so I’ll be too late (I couldn’t possibly walk in late)
– The boys aren’t actually asleep yet (that makes ALL the difference!)
To which he stopped me and said something along the lines of “stop talking, just go”…
BUT ……………!!!!!!!
“No, just go. Now.”
Yes, dear…. [scuttles off to get dressed so not late]
If he’d let me continue, I had more. Oh, I had more! There were at least 10 (I thought about them all through the class at the gym), though I can’t remember all of them now.
– I’m so exhasuted and need an early night…
– The dishes needed to be done…
– I’m still not quite better yet…
– There are things I have to do for tomorrow…
– My leg has been bad and I don’t want to make it worse…
– [insert more forgotten ones here!]
So as I went to the gym, I was actually quite thankful that hubby had made me. He did it out of love because he knew it was best for me. As well as that, I’d asked him to help me with accountability (and just quietly I’d told him he had to make me go if I ever tried to make excuses) so he was just doing his job.
Accountability is amazing! It’s such a powerful motivator, and can help when the excuses are just lame excuses.
Key things to look for in an accountability partner
1. They are physically available when you need (in person preferably, or by phone) to be held accountable
2. They have to be interested enough to want to keep you accountable and not affirm your excuses
3. They need to know you well enough to know when you’re using an excuse
4. They have to be willing to stand up to you and call you on it! And then rebut your counter-excuses!
5. You have to trust their judgement so you’ll listen to them when they do call you on it!
What are some of your best excuses you’ve used to get out of exercise?
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