“I bought the weights. So why didn't I restart my fitness journey?”
This one behaviour change skill might finally help you begin.
Your Anonymous Q:
“I want to restart my fitness journey and be consistent this time.
I even have weights at home and no need to go to the gym.
But I just… don’t start.
Why is it so hard to begin, even when I know exactly what to do?”
Dear Anonymous,
You’re already doing something most people never do:
You’re noticing the gap between knowing and doing.
That’s the messy middle place where change lives.
Not in plans or pep talks.
But in the moments where you pause and reflect:
“Wait… what’s going on here?”
That moment is where real change begins.
Most people look at the “what.”
“What should I do?”
“What’s the perfect routine?”
“What app or program do I follow?”
You already have the “what.”
This is a different question.
This is a “why am I not beginning?” question.
And that’s not a personal flaw.
That’s just a skill gap.
Good news: Skills can be learnt. :)
(Just like you learnt skills like writing, walking, reading, dancing?)
So here’s where we focus today: Task Initiation.
The one skill that makes the biggest difference at the beginning, the one we’re rarely taught, is the skill of starting.
And starting isn’t one action.
It’s a chain of invisible ones.
What actually has to happen when you “start something”:
You have to notice it’s the right moment.
You have to feel safe enough to begin.
You have to know what the first step looks like.
You have to feel permitted to start without needing it to be perfect.
Even if three of those happen…
...and one doesn’t?
You’ll skip it.
Or scroll.
Or start doing some random task.
(Which is not “laziness”, by the way. That’s emotional regulation. More on that some other time.)
And what helps?
You’ll have to do ALL these:
Cue setting
Emotional readiness
Implementation intentions
Body-based regulation
Environmental scaffolding
Self-permission
Memory priming
Cognitive clarity
Habitual patterning
JUST KIDDING!!!
I’m not going to throw the textbook at you.
I’ll show you just two things today.
Because they’ll do the heavy lifting right now.
1. Name the exact “first visible action.”
When you say:
“I’ll work out at home with weights.”
That sounds like one action.
But your brain doesn’t see a starting point.
It sees fog.
It is like someone asking you to “get that thing from that room”.
What thing? Which room?
To clear that fog, the brain needs us to name the first tiny, visible, finishable action.
Not:
“Do strength training.”
Try:
“Pick up the dumbbells and bring them to the center of the room.”
Even smaller?
“Touch the dumbbells and decide which one feels lightest today.”
Even smaller?
“Stand next to the dumbbells and open the notes app where I once saved that 5-exercise routine.”
You can even go simpler:
“Sit near the dumbbells, search for 1 minute workout with dumbbells and scroll until I see any movement I might want to copy.”
Yes. Really.
Scrolling intentionally to copy an exercise counts.
(Like just hanging out in the gym without working out counts)
You’re teaching your brain:
“I can approach this task without needing to perform it immediately.”
Btw, if going near the dumbbells feels hard, you can start at your body part level too:
“Would I like to move my feet to touch the ground? Would I like to stand up? Move towards the room where the dumbbells are?”
Great! Now your brain actually knows what to do first.
That’s the first thing. I promised 2 things today.
So here’s the second one:
2. Give yourself a “willingness cue,” not a command.
Instead of:
“I should start today.”
Try this:
“Am I willing to begin—just the very first visible step?”
Notice that shift?
Willingness doesn’t demand. It invites.
This softens internal resistance and gives your body space to come along for the ride instead of being dragged into it.
The irony?
When we feel safe to opt out, we’re more likely to opt in.
(Consent matters, you know!)
That’s enough for today.
There’s more to the skill of Task Initiation, of course.
And someday we’ll talk about other behaviour change skills too.
But for now, here’s your starting point:
Ask:
“What does starting look like today—if it’s laughably small? Like moving my toe?”
And:
“Am I willing to just do that?”
If the answer is no, that’s data about you. Not failure.
The game is to help you find things you’ll consent to do, and then actually do.
You can choose to conduct another experiment tomorrow.
This time with more clarity and less pressure.
And that’s how real change is created.
Hope this helped you a little bit today.
P.S. Say “Hi” to your dumbbells for me!
They must be feeling excited to hang out with you today! :)
—
Natasha Zorana
Behaviour Change Specialist
Have questions about a change you’re struggling with? Post a comment or Ask anonymously through this question box:
Thanks for this article, Natasha. Very helpful advice. I'm looking to resume my workouts. The advice you gave will help me a lot.