After the reset day post, I didn’t want to just redo the same big plan from scratch again since that clearly wasn’t sticking. So I picked the smallest possible thing and tied it to something I already do every day without thinking.
Wall push-ups, right after I brush my teeth at night. Standing push-ups against the bathroom wall, no equipment. I started at 5 reps because that’s genuinely all I could do without my arms shaking by the end.
3 days in now, and it’s held. Day 1 was 5, day 2 was 6, today was 8. Not a huge jump, but it’s the first thing since the reset that hasn’t fallen apart yet.
A few things that made it stick this time, for anyone else starting from basically zero strength:
– tying it to a habit I already do (brushing teeth) instead of a new time slot
– doing it standing, not on the floor, since floor push-ups were an instant no for me
– counting out loud instead of opening an app for it
– not adding anything else until this one feels automatic
My arms are a little sore most mornings, which I think is normal for the first few days. The part that surprised me is how much easier it is to keep something going when it’s attached to a habit that already happens anyway, versus something that needs its own reminder.
Sorry this got long, I wanted to write it down before I forget what actually worked this time.