I’ve been working out at home for almost five years. Every day I get your messages telling me I’m your motivation and that you’ve started choosing training as your own way of taking care of yourself. Of everything I’ve shared over these years, that is what makes me happiest. 🤍
So I want to share what actually keeps me going, even on the days I don’t feel like it. Because it’s not that I’m always motivated. I’m not. It’s something else.
How it all started
It all started spontaneously. I began sharing my journey on Instagram because it gave me a sense of commitment. How could I say publicly that I’d started and then give up? No way. That simply works for me, and I believe each of us needs to find our own extra push, something that won’t let you stop.
When I first paid for an online programme, I was sure I’d never stay motivated training alone at home and that I’d get bored quickly. Then there was real chemistry between me and the Tracy Anderson method, and in these five years I haven’t once thought about changing my workouts.
Of course it matters to find something you love, whether that’s the gym, Pilates, running or yoga. But that isn’t the key.
1. No negotiating with yourself
What I’ve noticed is that I don’t talk to myself too much about it. There’s no “will I train today or not”. No negotiating. The workout will get done. It’s part of me, it’s who I am.
If thoughts show up that try to sabotage me, I just start. I put on my workout set, because even though I train at home, I like feeling good in what I wear and it gives me an extra push. I step onto my mat, sometimes still without much will, but I press play and begin. Some days I give more, some days less, but what matters most is that I show up for myself. Every time.
2. For the feeling after a workout
What pushes me forward most is the feeling after a workout. That rush of energy, confidence and good mood always brings me back. Before training I can get stuck in thoughts and challenges, and afterwards it’s as if everything falls into place. Or maybe nothing changes, but I see it differently and everything feels easier.
It sounds contradictory, but exactly when we feel sluggish and low on energy, a little movement is often what we need most.
3. Strength, not “I have to look like this”
I won’t lie, the changes you see in your body are motivating too. But not in the “I have to look a certain way” sense. It’s the feeling of seeing your body become stronger, firmer and more stable. When you notice you hold yourself differently, move with more confidence and have more control. It isn’t just about looks, it’s how you feel in your own body.
What I see around me motivates me too. Many people start having back, knee and leg pain in their forties, often after years without movement. I realised I don’t want that to be my story. How much better I feel and how much more mobile I’ve been since I started training regularly is something nothing can replace.
4. Training is for your mind, not just your body
Those 30, 45 or 60 minutes can be time that’s only yours. No work, no obligations, no messages, nothing waiting. What a workout does for my head and my mood is often far more important to me than what I see in the mirror. That feeling that I did something good for myself.
5. Ten minutes is enough
The best part is that this feeling can come after 20 or even 10 minutes. Especially on days when you have no time and still do something for yourself. That sense of pride is huge, and it’s exactly what keeps you going.
You don’t need to wait for Monday, a new month or a day when you’re well rested. Find a video you like and do an easy 10 minutes, just enough to feel your body wake up. If you can, do it first thing in the morning: get up a little earlier and give yourself that time.
Then give yourself three weeks of consistency. Not perfection, consistency. I believe you’ll notice changes by then, not only in your body but in how you feel.
6. Sometimes what you wear helps
It doesn’t take much to get that little extra motivation. Sometimes it’s a good playlist, sometimes a workout with a friend, and sometimes a set you feel good, strong and confident in. That’s exactly why I created the KOE Active collection: to move with your body, give you a sense of security and make you feel good before, during and after training.
Consistency is a decision
If you haven’t found what moves you yet, that’s fine. Start anyway. Start today, even with a stretch, 10 minutes, anything. Tomorrow, show up for yourself again. And so on.
Because at the end of the day, consistency isn’t a matter of motivation, it’s a matter of decision.
So I’m asking you to pause for a second and say to yourself:
“I train. I take care of myself.”
Repeat it every day before you start training. Let it become your mantra and your new identity, and watch how things start to change.
If you’d like little reminders like this to land straight in your inbox, join the KOE list. And read more about how I learned to listen to myself in Fear, patience and 10 minutes a day.
Follow your KOE. 🤍
Slađana, founder of KOE
