Gym discipline

I would like to believe I am a disciplined person and that once I put my mind to something, I will deliver. I have to admit; however, that I now realize that discipline is a multidimensional thing. Just because you are disciplined at one thing does mean you will be able to stay your course on a plan for something else.

The first time I bought a gym membership, I went for a good part of a month, before I took a break for a couple of days on account of having the flu or something. After that, once I figured out that it was okay to sometimes miss going, it became easier and easier.

I signed up for another subscription a few years later and this time, I didn't even last a week. I have since given up on donating money to gyms. I have chosen other charities.

I have been wondering why I fell into the trap of subscribing in the first place. Gym subscriptions are an interesting folly of our own making. The logic goes something like this; "If I pay a large enough amount of money for something, I would feel obliged to use what I have bought, or feel so guilty that the guilt would drive me to using what I had bought."  I have realized that at least for me, it is the guy equivalent of buying a dress several sizes too small and then forcing yourself to lose weight so that you can get into it.

Let me share a secret. It doesn't work.