Ticking Boxes Does It For Me

My Fitbit died, again.  Since I liked it but did not love it, this is not a tragedy.  I did get a little jolt of something when it buzzed me for reaching my step goal, but really, I already know when I’m getting enough exercise.  It is not the very best accountability tool for me.  That said, it may well be the right tool for some of us.  And all of us do better if we have some system for keeping ourselves on track.  It often takes some experimenting to find the right one.  Here are some things to try, including ones that I use.

• Fitness trackers.  Yes, this includes my dearly departed Fitbit, but also everyone’s fancy Apple Watch.  People will do a surprising number of things to complete little circles or hit buzzing goals.

• Buddies.  This one works in person or by text, phone, email, or other communication method (smoke signal?).  A buddy can, obviously, work out right along with us, making us show up by presence alone.  Alternatively, we can make a deal where we text our buddy after we’ve done our workout or our buddy can gently harass us about it if we haven’t made contact yet.

• Social Media.  I use this one.  It works like having a whole bunch of buddies.  I take a photo of something in every workout and post it on Instagram.

• Paper.  I use this one, too.  I have a lot of fitness activities to track (cardio, weights, Pilates, yoga) and I like to have a weekly workout sheet that reminds me about what exactly I’m supposed to be doing.  I also enjoy ticking boxes the way some people enjoy completing virtual circles.

Try one or more and see what works!