What would happen if you did something 100 times? Let’s say between now and the end of the year.
Chances are that it would become a habit for you at that point.
Starting July 1, we are running a challenge gym-wide for our group class members. The challenge will run through the remainder of 2026, and those who complete the challenge will get a customized prize.
What do these members have to do? They have to come to 100 classes during the last 6 months of the year.
Not 100 perfect workouts.
Not 100 PRs.
Just 100 days where people are choosing to invest in themselves.
We are running a similar challenge for our personal training clients. If they attend 50 personal training sessions between July 1 and the end of the year, they will also get a customized prize.
Yes, they will receive a reward for completing the challenge. But those who complete it will also get a different personal reward, and it has nothing to do with what is handed out at the end. It is about who you become as a person during the process.
Building habits takes time. Studies show that it takes 30 days of doing something time and time again to make it a habit. But just because you miss a day doesn’t mean all hope is lost.
What if you woke up tomorrow, got to work, and realized you had forgotten to brush your teeth that morning? Chances are you have created a habit to brush your teeth in the morning, but somehow you forgot. You missed ONE day. Does that mean you should stop brushing your teeth for the rest of your life? Absolutely not.
Exercising is the same way. Life is going to throw us curveballs, and we will miss workouts that we had every intention of doing. What is important is that we show up for the next one.
Once a habit is created, consistency starts building. I talk to members all the time who have greatly benefited from the byproducts of creating an exercise routine.
They are seeing improvements in their life that are happening outside the four walls of our gym. People are seeing increased confidence, more energy, improved sleep, and less intimidation.
I was talking with one of our personal training clients, Cindy, yesterday during a session. Cindy volunteers a lot of her time on the weekends at a local food pantry. She told me that this past weekend she felt like she had so much more energy doing the demanding work she does at the food pantry on Fridays and Saturdays. She works out at our gym twice a week and is already seeing improvements in other areas of her life.
One of the biggest mistakes I see people make—and have even made myself—is the belief that “one workout will change your life.” Yes, showing up for yourself when you have so many competing priorities truly matters. But workout after workout is what builds habits, and that is what truly will change your life.