Habit

Client: "Whenever I work out my back tension immediately goes away, my mood lifts, and I instantly have a lot more energy."
Me: "That's amazing!" 
Client: "What's amazing is that I don't do it more often."

My client's quote doesn't need any elaboration, but don't you think he's describing one of the most interesting things about being human? We're able to forget what felt really incredible, completely life-changing, in only a matter of days. And if we skip this life-changing behavior for a few days or a week, it can seem next to impossible to start again.

It's serious, but also sort of...funny. We tend to our loved ones and keep frantic schedules, but we can't remember how good we felt a few days ago.

Many scientists suspect that most of what we do is habit---that we're on automatic pilot much more than we know. We could put a value judgment on our inability to get off the couch--we could call ourselves "lazy" or "pathetic"--but I think we should do that only if it helps :). Alternatively, we could keep it simple: our inability to get off the couch is a habit we know we want to change.

So let's be gentle with ourselves---being gentle is not the same as being passive. Exercise is fuel, and we're a quart low. For some of us, a little exercise is all we're needing.

Or, put differently, an object in motion stays in motion; an object at rest, rests. So all we have to do is START the movement. Whatever that movement is. It's just one step. Then we can take the next. Eventually, we'll be in front of the gym or the park or the playground, or our living room with the one empty corner. Then we'll be inside. And, at least for a short time, we'll remember.