We’re all familiar with how hard it is to exercise regularly – especially getting started again after stopping for a while. And you no doubt heard that your fitness level is significant factor in your sex life.

And knowing how good it is for you doesn’t seem to help.

More often, a voice in our head whispers:  “I’ll start when my travel schedule lightens in about 3 weeks”, or “I’ll start on my birthday at the beginning of next month”, or “Monday”, or “In the morning”, or my personal favorite, … “Today”.

Try this. Write the date you will go to the gym on a piece of paper (don’t use your smartphone for this – it’s too easy to hide in there among the files and apps). Seal it in an envelope and put it somewhere you won’t forget. Now use your smartphone to set a time on your calendar app for the day after the date you wrote on the piece of paper.

If that alarm goes off, and you made your first visit to the gym the day before, you win (the first time back is the hardest). That voice in your head will never get a chance to show up. This worked for me and it can work for you. You have nothing to lose. Give it a try.

The cause of your inability to get started is rooted in the habit of not keeping promises to yourself. It’s not easy. Why would we expect it to be? That Voice – ever-present, weighing in on every conscious decision we make that might make sense, is the alligator-part that just needs, needs, needs without a bit of introspection.

Set the trap and good luck.