You don't need to feel ready

Nobody feels like going every time.

Not to yoga. Not for the walk. Not to do the thing we know usually makes us feel better.

We tend to think motivation is supposed to come first. Like one day we're going to wake up and think, Hell yes, I cannot wait to make good choices for myself today.

Cute idea.

But motivation often works the other way around. We start first. The good feelings follow.

Movement can help activate the brain's reward system, including dopamine, which is involved in motivation and that lovely little feeling of, Okay, I'm glad I did that.

So waiting until you "feel like it" can keep you waiting a very long time.

Instead, make the goal smaller.

Book one class.

You don't have to be excited about it. You don't have to feel motivated. You don't even have to have had a particularly good day.

Just get yourself through the door and onto your mat.

Then, when class is over, notice how you feel.

A little calmer? Clearer? Stronger? Less stuck in your own head?

That's the feeling to remember the next time your brain tells you, Eh, maybe tomorrow.

You don't have to feel ready.

Sometimes you just have to show up and let the rest catch up with you.

See you on the mat.