One Apple A Day #598 - I slipped
The ache in my back woke me up early, a good half an hour before the planned alarm. I lurch to the kitchen with my eyes half-closed. It was still dark outside. Or at least, it looked dark to me I remember thinking that I needed just a few minutes on the couch, to let the pang in my back dissolve before doing my morning exercises. So, I slump on the couch. Just a few minutes. The next thing I recollect was my partner telling me there we were late for our appointment. No time for my morning practice. "Nevermind", I thought, "I'll recover late, we will have plenty of waiting time through the morning". Reality is that I felt slow and sleepy all day. I even struggled to find enough energy to read a novel for more than 10 minutes.
So, yesterday I slipped. No exercises, no meditation, no daily apple. Nothing.
It happens. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last. And there is always something to learn, in particular when we fail.
Yesterday, I learned that the twenty minutes I spent every morning doing some physical exercises are not only beneficial for my health. They literally awaken my body and my mind. It's like sending an energy shock through my whole system re-activating it after the night. Having skipped that, I've been sleepy and sluggish all day, unable to focus on anything.
I've also learned that my morning practices are now part of my identity. So, even if I miss one day, I can effortlessly get back to my rituals the day after.
"The ultimate form of intrinsic motivation is when a habit becomes part of your identity. It’s one thing to say I’m the type of person who wants this. It’s something very different to say I’m the type of person who is this." — Atomic Habits by James Clear