From 0 to 2,000: My 5 1/2-Year Exercise Streak
Ditch the quick fixes and discover the lasting motivation that propelled a 2,000-day exercise streak
Those who have spent time with me in the past few years have likely noticed my commitment to fitness. In fact, I’ve worked out every day since May 14, 2018. What that means is: earlier this month, I hit my 2,000th consecutive day of exercise!
For those who may be wondering: a typical day of exercise entails 30-60 minutes of lifting weights, a 3-6 mile run, or a 20-30 minute Peloton ride. That said, to give my body some rest, I have lighter days too. My minimum viable workout is 20 minutes of dedicated/focused movement where I get my heart rate up, e.g. 20-30 minutes of yoga, a light 20-minute jog, or a 20-minute circuit (pushups, squats, burpees, etc.).
What I've learned during the past 5 1/2 years about dedication, commitment, and attitude can be applied to any goal. Whether you're writing a book, trying to eat healthier, or learning a new language, I've shared some tips for improving your daily habits to accomplish your goals.
1. Start Small
I can assure you that on May 14, 2018, I didn't say "I'm going to work out for the next 2,000 days!" In fact, my initial goal was to work out 300+ times from May 2018 - May 2019. While this might sound daunting, I believed it was highly attainable, especially because I could double up on activities on the weekends, like jogging in the morning and playing volleyball in the afternoon, or a combo swimming/weight lifting session. A couple of weeks in, I missed a day on Sunday, May 13th, didn't stress about it, and simply went to the gym Monday morning. But, there’s something powerful in…
2. …The Power of Streaks
When I hit a consecutive 1-week streak, it made me think: "Maybe I can hit a 2-week streak." After 2 consecutive weeks, I pushed myself to hit a month, and once I hit a month, I set my sights on 3 months. It wasn't until I was 6+ months into it that I thought: "Wow, maybe I can do this every day for many years to come!"
I’ve found that maintaining the streak is extremely valuable, as it has forced me to prioritize getting 20+ minutes of exercise every day. No matter the obstacle — whether I’m sick, exhausted, or have a long day of travel —, I find a way to continue the streak!
3. Know Why You're Doing It
My biggest issue with most workout and diet motivation videos/articles is they focus on fast results. "Get a 6-pack in 30 days" or "Lose 15 pounds in 2 weeks" are common clickbait, and they imply that there's an end goal. Here's a quote from one of my favorite books, The Happiness Trap, which describes why being goal-focused can be problematic:
"In Western society, we tend to lead a goal-focused life. Life is all about achievement, and success is usually defined in terms of status, wealth, and power. Typically, we aren't that closely aligned with our values, and because of that, we can easily get caught up in goals that are not truly meaningful to us. For instance, we can get so caught up in earning money or furthering our careers that we neglect to spend time with our family...
That's why in [this book] we advocate for a values-focused life. Yes, we set goals, because goals are essential to a fulfilling, rewarding life — but we set them guided by our values. This means the goals we pursue are a lot more personally meaningful. And life itself becomes much more rewarding."
For me, I was exercising because it was aligned with one of my core values: being physically and mentally healthy. Therefore, while I appreciated the physical improvements to my body and compliments from friends, there was less of a goal of losing weight, getting a 6-pack, etc., and I continued exercising long after I believed I "looked good."
Why did I value being physically and mentally healthy? A Stanford GSB instructor once noted: "At the 10- and 20-year Stanford reunions, everyone is talking about who has started the most successful company or is running the biggest investment fund; but at the 30- and 40-year reunions, everyone's talking about who's the healthiest." In an effort to live by values that I could maintain for a long time, I began prioritizing health!
4. Create Systems in Your Life that Align with Your Values
Once you're aligned on what you value, create systems in your life that align with these values, i.e. when your behavior doesn't align with your values, either 1) change how you spend your time, or 2) change your values.
For me, the biggest change I made to support my dedication to exercise was becoming a “morning person.” During my summer internship in consulting, I was working long hours and there was a lot of uncertainty as to when we'd stop working in the evening. But the mornings were more consistent and certain: I needed to be at the office every day by 8:30 am. Therefore, I pushed myself to wake up early so I could maintain the streak. At first, this was tremendously challenging (and still today, there are mornings where getting out of bed is the last thing I want to do), but over time, it became easier, and sleeping in seemed less appealing than losing my streak. Fortunately, the unintended benefit is that a morning workout increases energy levels and sets a positive tone for the day.
Other systems that can be super valuable, especially for exercising:
Schedule your sessions: treat your workouts as non-negotiable appointments.
Find an accountability buddy: whether it's sending someone a daily text or finding a partner who you'll meet at the gym at 6am, find someone who will keep you accountable.
Write down your exercises in a journal: not only will you see the progress — for time, distance, strength, etc. —, but it'll be fun to look back at all the workouts you completed in a given week/month/year!
Find exercises you enjoy: If you don't like going to the gym, don't do it! There are dozens of ways to get 20+ minutes of exercise.
5. Reward Mechanisms
Additionally, I'd recommend taking advice from Amy Sutherland's famous article, What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage: "The central lesson I learned from exotic animal trainers is that I should reward behavior I like and ignore behavior I don’t." While Sutherland was referring to training her husband, the same thing goes for training yourself: reward yourself with things you enjoy doing before/during/after exercising. For me, this involves 1) drinking both a pre-workout drink and post-workout protein shake that I love and 2) occasionally watching Netflix or scrolling Instagram while on a stationary bike/treadmill.
The opposite of this can be daunting: imagine if, at the same time as you try to get back into the gym, you commit to only eating chicken/broccoli and drinking protein powder that tastes like chalk. It's not hard to see why you might not be tremendously excited about exercise. Remember how I recommended starting small? Don't try changing too much, too fast!
6. Know When to Rest
There have been times throughout this journey when I over-exerted, and at its worst, I was waking up every day with tremendous pain in my forearms and elbows. Fortunately for me, the worst of the pain was in Jan-Mar 2020, right before COVID shut down gyms in the Bay Area. I was able to shift my workouts to do a lot more yoga and cardio because of the pain, and by the time I was back in a gym, the pain had diminished. Today, I stretch a lot more than I used to (both before and after workouts) and change my workout routines from lifting weights to cardio/yoga whenever I experience any discomfort or pain.
7. Enjoy the Journey
Finally, celebrate your small wins and enjoy the journey. Whether it's reaching a weight loss goal, writing the first chapter of a book, or simply staying consistent for a certain period, take the time to acknowledge your progress. Habit trackers can be really helpful mechanisms to see your progress over time, so consider using one of those. Or as I mentioned above, use a journal to write down your exercises and witness your transformation!