Chris posted something in our group the other morning that stopped me. 

I was just thinking this morning. If I only had someone to push me, but then I thought, I shouldn’t need to have someone to push me. But I do, it’s just me. 

I read that and thought — that is not just you, Chris. That is most of us. Me included. 

I told her I’d write a blog post about it. So here we are. 

The same morning I read Chris’s post, I was out walking. Taly had her bike. She kept getting ahead of me — constantly — and I had to run to keep up. I don’t love running. But I did it. Because she was there. 

At one point she hit a hill and I heard that sound. You know the one. That squealy, wheeling noise kids make when they’re flying downhill and they can’t help themselves. Pure joy. She wasn’t thinking about me at all. She was just having the best time. 

And I was running. 

Her joy was contagious. She didn’t say a word to me. Didn’t push me, didn’t encourage me. The fact of her being there — that energy — was enough. 

That’s the thing about accountability. It doesn’t always look like someone coaching you or checking in on you. Sometimes it’s just another person in the same space, doing their thing, and your body responds. 

Last week I volunteered at the school. Year 12 students, just finished their PT certs, now doing the practical side. I was a little nervous going in — would I be fit enough, what would it be like being coached by male students — but the boys were lovely. They built a rapport with me straight away. 

The first session was about getting to know me. They did a fitness test — balance, muscular endurance, flexibility. I was really happy with my results. And now they’re programming for me. After the school holidays we start the real sessions. 

I’m looking forward to it. Which surprised me a little. 

The goal-setting part was a bit of a dance. They had boxes to tick. I am not really a box-ticker. So we compromised — I ticked a few boxes and then expanded on them. It worked. 

There are mornings I don’t want to do anything. I sit in bed and read a book. No motivation, no energy, no enthusiasm for any of it. 

It’s the routine that gets me going. Not the feeling. The routine. 

Am I hitting 100 percent every session? Not likely. But I’m doing something. And I can be happy with that. 

Recently, life threw everything into chaos. The routine didn’t hold — it just couldn’t. My stress was through the roof. So I did what I could. And I really felt the difference in my body. It kept reminding me. Move. Take care of yourself. 

That’s the thing. Your body knows. 

We did a poll in this group a while back. Asked what gets in the way of moving consistently. Here’s what you told us: 

My energy is just not there — 41% 

Life keeps interrupting — 17% 

I genuinely don’t know where to start — 17% 

I don’t have anyone to keep me accountable — 13% 

I’ve lost my why somewhere along the way — 12% 

Not one of those is an excuse. Every single one of them is real. 

And not one of them means you should just be able to push through on your own. 

Chris said it. I said it back. Most of us need the push. 

The question is — what does your push actually look like? 

In the next post, we’re going to get into that. Practically. What to do when the energy isn’t there. What accountability can look like when it’s just you. How to find the why again when you’ve lost it. 

But for now — if you read Chris’s words and felt something, you’re not alone. Not even close. 

Continue reading Part 2 here.