Willpower: Tips & Tricks

It was 35°F outside when my alarm went off this morning. I was warm, snuggled under a pile of blankets with the cat by my feet, the haze of sleep wrapping a cocoon of comfort around me. The sweet aftertaste of dreams lingered, a haven of mingled contentment and sleepiness that gently tugged me toward the honeyed Lethe of slumber.

Oh darling, we don't have time for that shit.

Against the protests of literally every other part of my being, pure willpower shoved through the soft haze and, taking advantage of the bewildered confusion, cast off the warm blankets and pushed my body out of bed and into the cold air of the room. I hurried to the bathroom counter where the rest of my workout clothes awaited, having set them out the night before.

(The secret, you see, is to get moving before your less motivated self can build an argument to stay in bed. The other secret is to wear half your workout clothes as pajamas).

I have a fifteen minute window from the time my alarm goes off and the time I'm out the door for the bitterly cold walk to my apartment's gym. I have to move fast -- not just because I'm concerned that I'll ice the hell over if I stop, but if I don't make it at least half way there in a few minutes, my brain wakes up with a "OH WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK IS THIS SHIT?!" and I get grumpy. Grumpier. Semantics.

Taking off my jacket in the barely-warmer-than-outside gym is typically the last hurdle. I don't have any tricks for this except just doing it very quickly, tucking the fleecey warmth of it into a cubby and getting on the elliptical as soon as humanly possible. If I move more slowly, the shivers set in and it's harder to get moving.

Usually it takes about 20 minutes before I begrudgingly accept that this is a good idea, that yes, this is not so bad, exercise is good, gold goddamn star for you, Kat. Forty minutes in, I feel awesome. By the time I'm done, I feel like I could climb all the mountains and defeat all the monsters. One self-congratulatory cool down & stretch later, I'm bundling back up for the cheerful hustle through the frost-glittered dawn to head home and shower.