Build Grit, Not Excuses: Why Hard Days Count More

Thought For The Week

Let’s be honest—there are days when we just don’t feel like it. Whether it’s getting out of bed early, prepping a healthy meal, or dragging ourselves to a workout, motivation can feel a million miles away. But here’s the truth: we don’t need to feel like doing something in order to actually do it. In fact, the most important steps we take will actually happen in spite of how we feel. Real progress doesn’t happen when it’s all too easy; it happens in those moments when the going gets tough, yet we still make the decision to do it anyway.

Exercise Tip

On the days when you’re tired, stressed, flat, or just not in the mood, those are the days that matter most. Because showing up when it's hard isn’t just about a single workout—it’s about building resolve, consistency and mental toughness. You’re proving to yourself that you can follow through, even when motivation is nowhere in sight. And here’s the best part: no one ever finished a workout thinking, “I wish I hadn’t done that.” You might go in feeling low, but you always come out feeling better, stronger, clearer, and more capable. In other words, you’ve got nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

Try this: Instead of thinking about how tired or unmotivated you feel now, picture how good you'll feel after your workout. Future You will thank you for it.

Nutrition Tip

The same principle applies to the way we eat. You won’t always crave the nourishing option, and that’s okay. But choosing it anyway, especially when it would be easier not to, is an act of self-respect. It’s a signal that you’re in this for the long haul. You don’t need to make perfect choices every time, you just need to keep showing up for yourself, one decision at a time. Remember: consistency beats intensity.

Try this: When in doubt, eat for how you want to feel later, not just how you feel right now. Energy, clarity, and steadiness often follow the more nourishing choice.

Links & Resources

Book: Do the work by Steven Pressfield a straight-talking, no-fluff book about how to overcome that inner resistance and take action anyway.

Worksheet: "If-then" planning is self-regulation strategy that can help you achieve your goals by linking a specific situation ("if") with a desired behaviour ("then"). This helpful resource from the University of Melbourne will help bridge the gap between intentions and actions, making it easier to form habits and modify behaviours.

Recipe: Try my high protein salad for lunch this week. It’ll keep you feeling nourished and full until dinner.

Inspirational Quote

“Discipline is choosing between what you want now and what you want most.”

Abraham Lincoln