Why are some necessary evils (getting up early, working out, doing chores, etc.) easier to begin than others? The answer is automation.
We are faced with thousands of choices every day.
It is estimated that we average about 35,000 decisions daily. These can be as simple as what to wear, which route to take to work or if we want to eat before or after we take the dog for a walk. They can be more complex like choosing a date for an important event, deciding whether or not to make a large purchase or figuring out how many calories you are going to allow yourself on a new diet.
The more decisions we make, the more descision-fatigued we become.
A lot of brain energy-expending thought can go into our decisions. We must consider the conditions and factor in the "what-ifs" of our options. A heavy load of complex decision-making can make those seemingly easier decisions feel more like the complicated ones. By the end of the day, deciding whether or not you are going to walk the dog at all can seem overwhelming.
If you want to make sure something will get done, do it early.
Tackling difficult tasks earlier in the day increases the probability that they will be completed. Our energy and motivation decrease as the day goes on, and our ability to make the best choices dissipates. Conquering difficult tasks early can set a more energized and productive tone for the rest of the day.
The choices we make today influence the choices we will make tomorrow.
We are creatures of habit. Habits are routine choices. These decisions do not contribute to decision fatigue, because the decisions have already been made. If you can reframe your thinking about the decisions you tend to regret (not going for that run, eating that extra cookie, putting off an oil change until next week, etc.), shifting them from decision-form to habit-form, they will become automatic.
A friend recently told me that the way she is able to get her workout in so early in the morning is that she just starts doing it. She gets started before her mind wakes up enough to realize what's happening. And by then, she says, she is already halfway through her workout. If you overthink your morning workout to the point of talking yourself out of it, try thinking about it (or not thinking about it) this way, so you can get it done.
I have another friend who does not eat store-bought desserts. She says they aren't worth the calories. If you can make a general rule for yourself like that when it comes to food choices, the decision will already be made before you are faced with it.
My sister uses her Saturdays between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. for car - related errands. She goes to the car wash weekly. If her car needs an oil change or new tires she already has the time blocked out to get it done. If there is anything you tend to put off or have a difficult time finding the time for, like medical appointments or haircuts, tentatively blocking off a time and day like this might be a good solution for you.
How to automate your decisions:
Decide which habits you want to change.
Make a blanket decision in advance.
Stick to your decision.
Don't give it a second, doubting thought.
Do the thing you decided you would do.
Repeat as necessary.