How to get started in the gym, or in life

With the help of understanding the 'marketing rule of 7'

The ‘marketing rule of 7’ told us we needed to see something 7 times before really considering buying or doing that thing. This is slightly outdated due to the fact there are so many ads in our lives now that we have actually become better at tuning them out. The well-informed even click on the little circled i icon at the bottom left of the YouTube ad before the chosen video starts so you can choose skip the ad and choose that it’s too repetitive instead of mindlessly watching the full length. (You’re welcome).

I have trained new clients who said they had been to the gym before, but never inside. They wanted to workout and knew it would benefit their health yet when they pulled up in the parking lot they felt so much shame. They had felt like they needed help from a trainer but that the trainer may judge them for being out of shape. They felt they were too fat to start. She said it probably took her 7 times to finally come inside to meet with someone, and thank god she did.

The rule of 7 is hard. From a materialistic view I often think of something I want to buy and I’ll leave it to think of for weeks. If it’s still often on my mind and interests me then I go for it. I might think of it 7 times. From a productivity view I hate the rule of 7. Something objectively good for you should be done right away. There won’t be a special time where more willpower builds up, since willpower isn’t real. People that go to the gym mostly don’t ‘like’ exercise, they like results. Even that fit trainer you see or may hire, chances are they don’t simply love to play exercise.

The main things that create positive change in nearly any domain are consistency and effort. Consistency in the gym may look like 2-3x/week like most of my successful clients do. Consistency in life may be ‘showing up’ for your spouse how you desired to be for them when you first met. And the effort, well the effort doesn’t have to be heroic by any means. Try. Get a little uncomfortable for a positive result like when you ask that girl in school to prom. Or when you try and set up a sprinkler so it doesn’t go in your neighbours window so you keep running in to move it on every sweeping pass.

1. Show up. 2. Don’t wait 7 times for a perfect moment. 3. Consistent effort

Jacob Saunders