Let's call it "FAS." Fatigue Avoidance Syndrome. Its symptoms are all around us. You see evidence of it at the mall, in our schools, at your place of worship. Its origin is in our minds.
Friday, I was really tired. I have been working on some time-sensitive material and it wasn't finished. The deadline was yesterday.
The battle in my head was staged. I presented myself with a dozen reasons why missing my workout would be okay.
I had been distracted and believed I could catch up if I worked through the afternoon into the late evening. But I would have to miss my Friday workout. It was a classic attack of FAS—Fatigue Avoidance Syndrome.
The battle in my head was staged. I presented myself with a dozen reasons why missing my workout would be okay. I am in good shape. I haven't missed a workout in quite a while. I could just do gut and stretch at home, thus reducing the time to travel back and forth to the gym. Traffic would be bad, etc., etc. Besides, missing a single workout wouldn't make a difference.
But I knew the road to dropping out of my exercise commitment always begins with a single missed workout. Could the second miss be close behind?
I had almost made up my mine to pass when the voice of one of my old coaches resonated in my head.
"Get you ass in the saddle dude!" I heard him command. "A good workout right now will clear your brain, stimulate your circulation, bring on board fresh oxygen and carry off all the carbon dioxide you have been accumulating for the last 12 hours. Go to the gym! Just get your gear on right now and get your fat ass in the car. Point it in the right direction. NOW!"
I did it. It was a great workout. When I returned to my desk, I was pumped up and pleased. All I really had to do is make it to my car and head toward the gym. The toughest part was the first few steps. That done, made the day.
And I made my deadline, too.
Da Coach