When Exercise Feels Like “Just Another Thing” On the To-Do List

This post is by Lindsey Bell. 

I’m a list-maker. Always have been. 

Though I can see the benefits of lists and how they help me accomplish things, there are also potential drawbacks. 

One of these drawbacks is that critical activities (such as Bible reading, prayer, exercise, and daily quiet time) can become nothing more than an item on the to-do list. 

So what’s a girl to do when exercise becomes “just another thing” on the list? 

When Exercise Becomes Just Another Thing On The To-Do List: 

• Change it up. 

Sometimes, a simple change of scenery can make a huge difference in our motivation to do something. 

Do you typically walk for exercise? Try bike riding instead. Do you typically go to the gym? Try taking a walk outside with a friend. Do you find yourself turning to the same form of exercise on a regular basis? Try switching it up. 

Boredom might be the culprit, and changing up your exercise routine can often be just enough to get rid of this boredom. 

• Invite a friend. 

Inviting someone else to join you a few times a week can be beneficial for a couple of reasons. One, it provides built-in accountability, hopefully keeping you from bailing. But it also encourages community and relationship, another critical piece of a healthy lifestyle. 

• Just do the next right thing. 

This simple statement has become my mantra for a lot of things lately. 

I first heard it years ago when in the middle of a grieving season, and I didn’t know what to do to move forward in life. I felt stuck. 

My relationship with God was stagnant. My relationships with others weren’t ideal. (Grief can do that.) I certainly wasn’t living the life I wanted to live. I was unhappy most of the time.

There’s not a great way to describe it other than simply admitting that everything in my life felt “off.” 

Just doing the next right thing was what dug me out of this pit. 

I often take on too much, thinking I need to have the whole big picture figured out before I take action. 

But the truth is, we don’t have to know the next seven steps forward. We don’t even have to know the next three steps forward. All we have to know is the next ONE. Just do the next right thing. 

This can apply to Bible reading, career choices, relationships, and a whole host of situations, but it can also apply to our health. 

Sometimes, we overwhelm ourselves by trying to do everything all at once: completely overhauling our diets, committing to working out every single day, promising to cut out soda completely, etc. 

What’s necessary, though, isn’t always these huge goals. Sometimes, it’s much better to just focus on TODAY and what you can do today to improve your health and overall well-being. 

What is the next right thing to do for your health today? 

I want to encourage you to do that one thing. 

Lindsey Bell is the author of Unbeaten and Searching for Sanity. She’s passionate about her two boys, her husband Keith, books of all kinds, and delicious dark chocolate. Her desire is to inspire and encourage other believers through honest dialogue about faith, family, and learning to love the life she’s been given. As a woman who has lost four babies to miscarriage, Lindsey loves helping others find God in the midst of heartache. Find Lindsey online at www.lindseymbell.com. 

Photo by Glenn Carstens-Peters on Unsplash