The video is me and some friends on the beach this morning. I’ve done this exercise class twice a week for more than five years now – and it’s got nothing to do with being a morning person. [Under normal circumstances, I try not to book a meeting before 11am].
Why is this class one of my most ingrained habits?
CONVENIENCE
It starts at 6.30, so there’s never a diary conflict. It’s also about a 2-minute walk from my front door, so I can [and do!] quite literally fall out of bed at 6.20, clean my teeth, pull on some shorts, and go. If it involved a 30-minute drive and started at midday, it would be much harder to commit to. But it’s easy for me to get to, so there’s no excuse for missing it.
ENVIRONMENT
I mean … look at the video – it’s a beautiful spot. But it’s not just a nice physical environment – we always finish with coffee and chat as we recover from the session. If it was at an indoor gym with strangers, I wouldn’t enjoy it. But being at the beach with friends feels good, so that motivates me.
There are other factors involved, of course, but when it comes to starting a new habit, convenience and environment matter.
How can I make this easy?
How can I make it nice?
