Most people assume that fitness begins with motivation. They wait for the perfect playlist, the perfect pre-workout buzz, or the perfect mood to finally hit the gym. But the truth is simpler and far less glamorous: real progress begins when you put your shoes on.
That tiny act — lacing up your sneakers — is the bridge between thought and action. It’s the signal your body and mind need to shift from passive intention to active movement. And while it sounds almost too simple, it’s exactly what separates people who get results from those who keep restarting their fitness journey every few months.
I’ve been in the gym since I was eleven. My father, in a twist of fate, won a gym in a raffle — yes, literally — and brought it home. I started using it out of curiosity, but that early exposure shaped my entire relationship with discipline. Over time, I realized something most people never do: consistency isn’t born from passion. It’s born from practice.
The Real Problem: You’re Waiting to Feel Ready
We all want to feel “in the mood” to work out. But motivation is unreliable. It’s like a friend who shows up late — sometimes helpful, but never predictable. If you depend on motivation, you’ll spend more time negotiating with yourself than moving your body.
Discipline, however, is different. Discipline doesn’t wait for emotion; it creates motion. It says, “I’ll do it anyway.”
Once I began treating workouts as non-negotiable, something interesting happened. I stopped dreading them. I started craving them. The reward loop flipped: instead of chasing motivation to start, I started chasing the satisfaction of finishing.
That’s what “putting your shoes on” really symbolizes — it’s the trigger that bypasses mental resistance and initiates forward momentum. Once the shoes are on, the battle is half-won.
Discipline Over Motivation — Always
Motivation is a spark. Discipline is a furnace.
You can’t rely on sparks to heat your house. The people who build long-term fitness results — the ones who actually sustain it through seasons, jobs, and life transitions — are the ones who stop relying on emotional weather. They rely on habit.
Every time you choose discipline over comfort, you’re rewiring your brain’s relationship with effort. You’re teaching yourself that action doesn’t require permission from your emotions.
And here’s the best part: discipline compounds. The more consistent you are, the easier it becomes to stay consistent. Skipping starts to feel uncomfortable because your identity shifts from “someone who works out” to “someone who doesn’t miss.”
That identity is powerful. It anchors your habits in self-respect.
The ‘Shoes On’ Technique: Small Steps That Lead to Big Wins
The “shoes on” rule works because it’s a psychological anchor — a small, easy-to-complete action that lowers mental resistance. Think of it as the first domino.
Here’s the framework I use:
- Put your shoes on.
Don’t think about it — just do it. The action matters more than the feeling. - Do one push-up or squat.
This is a micro-commitment. It tricks your brain into action mode. - Visualize your goal body or energy level.
Picture how you want to look, feel, and move. This creates emotional alignment. - Walk out the door (or into your home gym).
Don’t wait for the next wave of motivation — ride the momentum you just created.
This simple sequence transforms inertia into movement. And movement, once started, sustains itself.
How My Mother Hacked Her Motivation
When I talk about consistency, I always think of my mother. She’s the definition of “no excuses.”
She built a home gym in her office — not a fancy one, just functional enough that she can’t avoid seeing it. The walls are lined with motivational posters, resistance bands hang on the door, and the treadmill faces her computer. Every time she sits down to work, her fitness goals stare right back at her.
She doesn’t need to commute, plan, or think. She’s already there.
Her setup embodies one of the most powerful principles from James Clear’s Atomic Habits:
“Make productive habits easy and visible. Make unproductive habits hard and invisible.”
She removed friction from the behaviors she wanted and added friction to the ones she didn’t. She replaced processed snacks with fruit, kept her dumbbells by the desk, and made her workout clothes part of her morning routine. The environment does half the work for her now.
Make Progress Easy to Access
If your habits feel difficult, it’s not because you lack willpower — it’s because your environment is working against you.
Start by redesigning your surroundings:
- Keep your gym shoes near the door. The less distance between you and your decision, the better.
- Lay out your workout clothes the night before. This removes one more excuse.
- Keep water bottles and weights in visible places. Out of sight really does mean out of mind.
- Join a gym that’s on your commute route. The easier it is to get there, the less likely you’ll skip.
Progress isn’t about intensity — it’s about accessibility. The more convenient you make healthy choices, the more naturally they’ll occur.
The Power of Visual Triggers
Visual cues are a silent force in habit formation. What you see daily becomes what you do daily.
That’s why I leave my dogs’ leashes right by the door. They remind me — or, honestly, demand — that I take them out for walks. That simple habit keeps me active even when my work keeps me sitting for long hours.
You can use this same principle for your fitness journey.
If you want to drink more water, keep a filled bottle next to your keyboard.
If you want to stretch more, keep a yoga mat unrolled in your living room.
If you want to meditate, place a cushion in a visible corner.
Cues don’t just trigger behavior — they shape identity. Every reminder whispers, this is who you are now.
Reframing Fitness: From Obligation to Opportunity
Fitness isn’t punishment for eating. It’s a celebration of movement — of being alive, capable, and adaptable.
When I’ve taken breaks from training, I don’t guilt myself. I rest intentionally. Burnout isn’t weakness; it’s information. It tells you when to shift, recalibrate, or find new challenges.
But when the sabbatical ends, I go back. Not because I “have to,” but because I’m uninterested in surrendering results for lazy habits. My strength is the proof of my discipline — and I’ve worked too hard to hand that away.
Start Small, But Start Today
If you’re struggling to get back into the groove, don’t overthink the perfect workout split or supplement stack. Just put your shoes on.
That one act breaks the mental stalemate and signals to your brain: We’re doing this.
Remember:
- Action fuels motivation — not the other way around.
- Small wins compound into big transformations.
- Identity shifts happen when you keep your promises to yourself.
Stop negotiating with your laziness. Start negotiating with your potential.
Your shoes are waiting.
Your future body is waiting.
Your discipline is waiting.
So tie the laces.
Do one push-up.
And watch how that one small step becomes the turning point that changes everything.