How do you start your week? Do you feel energised and enthusiastic to start your week and can’ wait to get your teeth into the challenges that lie ahead? Or could you summarise your state of mind with ‘Oh, what a drag. Yet another week of this same sh**’!

If you associate more with the latter, you should seriously work on your attitude or consider aligning what you do with what you are passionate about. There are always (only) two choices in life: either choose it, or change it!

However, even if you feel great about the week ahead you may be tempted to cut the corners and not do what you are supposed to do. You know what I’m talking about. I’m talking about the routine that you know you should have – for reading that book, for researching that business plan, for getting up early for that run or for finally taking time to sort out your relationship – but you keep avoiding the single one thing that is going to change your life for the better.

So here’s couple of ideas to keep you going this week on the things you are supposed to do.

1) Enjoy the challenge

My friend was going through a divorce and as anyone who have suffered a major relationship break-up would now, it is not fun. I kept telling her ‘to enjoy the pain’, and at the time she thought I had lost it! But after the worst eye of the storm had passed she understood what I meant. When you are doing something you find extremely painful, but you know is a necessary, you feel raw, open and vulnerable. You feel and experience deeply. We will then grow stronger and are soon back re-building our shield, when life goes on uneventfully fine don’t always experience life so fully.

So if it feels painful, remember to enjoy it and embrace it. You will look back and remember those moments of discomfort with joy later on. (Trust me…)

2) Automate

I keep running on treadmill rather than outside. Three times a week (Mon, Wed and Fri – if you want to know). I post my morning run of 5k mostly to amuse my Facebook friends and to bore my Twitter followers. A friend of mine asked why am I running indoors, it’s a beautiful weather and there are perfectly good routes to go running around where I live.

The reason: I have automated my run. I have taken out all the guess work. ‘Should I go running inside or outside… It’s a beautiful morning, surely it is a sin to run indoors. Which route should I take. Is it warm enough to wear a tank rop or should I have long sleeves…. What if I get too hot.. then I have to keep carrying that long sleeve around… how about the sun, is it going to shine this way or that. So sunglasses. Do I need them? It’s going to be uncomfortable with them. Maybe better not. But then my eyes will water so much. Which music. Or no music. Well, if I go outside I should be listening the birds sing, right..!’ And the thinking process goes on and one. And soon it is too late to go because the work week takes over.

So I have automated my runs. Like brushing teeth. No thinking process involved. Same clothes. Same music. Same distance. Same pace. Same. No thinking. No excuses.

If you really want to start doing something then allocate a time and a place that you are going to repeat every week. Regardless of the weather. Regardless of.. well, life.

3) Just get out there and do it

And then remains the final step. The step of actually taking that book in your hand. Of actually downloading that guru’s Podcast you know you should listen. Of putting those running shoes on.

And if I wasn’t able to convince you yet to get out and do it, please watch this video of Yvonne, aged 76 years. She’s embracing the challenge. She’s getting up and out there every day. To train. And to beat the younger ones at it!

[youtube_sc url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIc9b0Fi4XI]

Have a great week and enjoy what you do!

~ Miisa