The Muirhead Window

You’ve laid out your kit, figured out the workouts you’re going to do, prepared your nutrition, and know exactly how you’ll get to the gym or pool. All you have to do is get up in the morning and do it! You feel motivated and happy as you get into bed. You drift off to sleep, content with the thought of how great you’ll feel after your workout — one more step toward your goals.

Before you know it, the alarm goes off like a siren next to you. Wait—didn’t I just fall asleep? It can’t be morning already.

Then comes a key window of time: the gap between waking up and getting your kit on to work out.

Sometimes you’ll leap out of bed feeling great and just go. These are the best mornings. But they don’t happen often, and if you work out regularly—pushing yourself to new levels of fitness—you probably won’t want to get out of bed.

You’ll still have some of last night’s motivation, but now your conscious mind starts playing tricks. It whispers things like:

• I don’t feel that great…am I sick?

• I didn’t sleep well. Maybe I shouldn’t push myself and get ill.

• Perhaps my body is telling me to rest.

• I worked out yesterday and did well; I deserve a break.

• I’ll just check the news on my phone for a few minutes—then I’ll feel better…

These are the worst thoughts. And here’s the truth: you’ve got maybe 20 minutes to make your move. Either you get up and go, or you’ll end up saying, “I don’t have time anymore—never mind.” And then it won’t happen.

I call this the Muirhead Window: 20 minutes to decide. Will you smash the glass and get on with it, or sit back and watch the world go by?

You need to build a relationship with this window. Prepare yourself for the conversation that will play out in your head. How will you silence the lazy demons and get moving? Recognize that this battle will happen—it makes you stronger just to expect it.

One last thought. Let’s say you get good at breaking the glass. More often than not, you get up and go. Congratulations—you’re great! But beware: sometimes your brain and your body really are telling the truth. You are sick. You do need rest. Push yourself too far and your workout turns negative instead of positive. Learning to tell the difference between lies and truth from your body and mind is hard. It takes time, and lots of practice.

I don’t always get it right. Like everyone, I’m sometimes fooled. You will be too.

But master the Muirhead Window, and you’ll master consistency. And consistency is where strength comes from.

So—what are your experiences with the Muirhead Window? What have you learned?