Use Self-Reliance to Stick to Your Habits

I recently started thinking about the external conditions I take as “requirements” to get certain things done. I know that sounds a bit vague, so here are some examples from my life:

• To work out, I need a gym.
• To run outdoors, I need a park.
• To focus, I need to work in a coffeeshop.
• To challenge myself, I need to go travel or plan some special activity.

Reliance on these external conditions creates a problem: it’s easy to skip the activity when the condition is not met. For example, if the gym is closed, I can’t work out. If it’s too busy in my favorite coffeeshop, I can’t work. And so on.

This becomes especially problematic when you travel a lot. All these external factors will often get messed up or go missing. No park nearby? Can’t run. No gym? Can’t workout.

So over the past months I’ve started working on “self-reliance:” all the activities I deem important, I should be able to do independent of external conditions:

1. I’ve ditched my gym membership. Instead, I do two, seven minute workouts every day when I wake up using the 7 min. workout app.
2. I’ve picked up urban running: instead of looking for a treadmill or park, I just run through the city streets. I can do this anywhere in the world.
3. I’ve built challenges into my everyday activities. For example taking ice cold showers every morning, and taking the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator.

This self-reliance approach has made me even more consistent in these activities. I’m now in better shape than when I was going to the gym! I’m also saving time and money, and it’s much easier to keep up my routine no matter the conditions.