Starting a Cold Engine
Why Getting Back Into a Routine Can Be Harder Than Staying in One
I was having a conversation with a good friend at the gym recently. Someone who has spent decades training, eating well, and making his health a priority.
Over the past several weeks, he'd dealt with illness, injuries, and competing responsibilities. Every time it seemed like he was getting back into a rhythm, something else happened.
And we got to talking about how difficult it can be to get going again.
What struck me about that conversation wasn't that he'd experienced setbacks. We all do.
It was that even someone with decades of experience, someone who understands exactly what it takes to build and maintain a routine, can still struggle to get back into one.
And I think that's something worth talking about.
Because knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things.
Sometimes, getting started again is harder than keeping going.
When Life Interrupts the Routine
Think about the last time you were really consistent with something.
Maybe you were training four or five days a week. Maybe you were preparing your meals, getting enough sleep, or making time for something important to you.
You had a rhythm.
You weren't necessarily excited to do those things every day. They were simply part of how you lived.
Then life happened.
You went on vacation. You got sick. Work became demanding. Your relationship needed more attention. Your kids needed you. Maybe you experienced an injury that forced you to change your plans.
And before you knew it, the routine you'd worked to establish wasn't really a routine anymore.
Now you're trying to get back to it.
You know what you need to do. You've done it before.
So why does it feel so damn difficult?
The Cold Engine
I think of it like starting a cold engine.
When an engine has been sitting for a while, getting it started can take more effort than keeping it running once it's warmed up.
Our routines can feel similar.
When you've established a rhythm, a lot of the decisions have already been made.
You know when you're going to train. You know what groceries to buy. You know how to organize your day around the things you've decided matter.
You don't have to negotiate every decision from scratch.
But when that rhythm gets interrupted, those decisions come back.
When am I going to work out?
Do I have enough time?
What should I eat?
Am I ready to start again?
And sometimes, after a long day, it's easier to tell yourself you'll figure it out tomorrow.
Then tomorrow becomes next week.
And suddenly, something that used to be a normal part of your life feels like an enormous undertaking.
Not because you've forgotten how to do the work.
But because the structure that helped you do it consistently isn't operating the way it used to.
The work hasn't necessarily become harder. Getting yourself to the work has.
The Weight We Add to Starting Again
There's another side to this that I think we need to acknowledge.
It's not always just about finding the time or energy.
Sometimes it's about everything you're telling yourself before you even begin.
Maybe you're frustrated that you've lost momentum.
Maybe you're embarrassed because you aren't as strong, fit, or consistent as you used to be.
Maybe you're disappointed because you've promised yourself several times that you'd get back on track, and you haven't followed through.
And now you're carrying all of that into the next attempt.
Think about the difference between these two conversations:
"I haven't trained in three weeks. I need to figure out how to make it part of my schedule again."
Or:
"I can't believe I've let myself go for three weeks. I was doing so well. Why do I always do this?"
Same circumstances.
Two very different ways of approaching them.
One recognizes a problem that needs solving.
The other turns the problem into a judgment about who you are.
And for some people, that judgment becomes another obstacle to getting started.
Have you ever noticed how much energy you can spend being upset with yourself for not doing something, when you could have used some of that energy figuring out how to begin again?
Listen, I understand being disappointed in yourself. I understand wanting to hold yourself to a higher standard.
But there's a difference between accountability and self-punishment.
Accountability asks, Where do we go from here?
Self-punishment keeps asking, How did I let myself get here?
We can learn from what happened without spending the next several weeks beating ourselves up over it.
You can give yourself grace for how you got here while still holding yourself accountable for where you go next.
Experience Doesn't Make You Immune to Setbacks
I want to come back to that conversation with my friend for a moment.
Because I think there's an assumption that once you've been doing something long enough, you shouldn't struggle with it anymore.
And I don't think that's a reasonable expectation.
Someone can spend decades training and still get sick.
They can understand nutrition and still struggle to prepare meals when they're working long hours.
They can have years of experience managing their schedule and still encounter circumstances that require their attention elsewhere.
I've experienced plenty of those periods myself.
I've worked long hours in demanding leadership positions. I've gone on vacations. I've had periods when responsibilities outside the gym needed more of my attention.
And I've experienced how quickly something that once felt normal can start requiring more deliberate effort.
That's part of being human.
Your experience doesn't eliminate life's interruptions.
And having a difficult time returning doesn't erase the work you've done before.
But here's the important part.
Just because it's understandable that you've lost momentum doesn't mean you have to wait for momentum to return on its own.
Sometimes you have to create the conditions that allow it to develop again.
Stop Trying to Resume. Start Rebuilding.
Here's where I think a lot of people make restarting unnecessarily difficult.
They expect themselves to immediately return to the version of their routine they had before everything got interrupted.
Maybe you were training five days a week.
You've been out for a month, and now you're telling yourself that getting back on track means immediately returning to five days.
But what if your schedule has changed?
What if your energy isn't where it used to be?
What if you're still rebuilding your capacity after being sick?
Trying to force yourself back into the exact same routine might not be the most effective approach.
And sometimes, the expectation itself becomes another reason you keep putting it off.
Because in your mind, getting back into the gym means committing to everything you were doing before.
Five workouts. Meal preparation. Cardio. Early mornings.
All of it.
So instead of taking one manageable step, you keep waiting until you feel ready to do everything.
But what if you approached it differently?
What if you started with two workouts this week?
What if, instead of trying to prepare every meal perfectly, you started by making sure you had breakfast and lunch planned?
What if you stopped trying to make up for everything you missed and focused on what you could realistically do next?
That isn't abandoning your standards.
It's recognizing that your current circumstances might require a different approach.
And as your circumstances improve, you can build from there.
You don't have to restart at the level where you left off. You have to restart at a level you can realistically sustain.
The First Few Days Matter
I want you to think about something.
When you're struggling to return to a routine, how often do you find yourself planning an entirely new version of your life?
Starting Monday, you're going to train five days a week.
You're going to prepare every meal.
You're going to get eight hours of sleep.
You're going to wake up earlier.
And you're going to do everything right this time.
There's nothing wrong with wanting those things.
But if you've been struggling to get started, creating a long list of expectations might be making the first step harder than it needs to be.
So let's make this practical.
Instead of trying to rebuild your entire routine, focus on the next 24 to 72 hours.
What's one meaningful action you can take?
Not ten things.
One.
Maybe it's scheduling a workout for tomorrow.
Maybe it's going grocery shopping so you have food available for the next few days.
Maybe it's setting aside 20 minutes to work on something you've been putting off.
Then ask yourself another question.
What might get in the way?
If you're planning to train after work, do you need to pack your gym bag tonight?
If you're planning to prepare meals, do you actually have the groceries?
If you're trying to return to a morning routine, is your current bedtime going to make that realistic?
These might seem like small considerations.
But they're often the difference between having a good intention and giving yourself a reasonable opportunity to follow through.
And once you've completed that first action?
Decide when you're going to do it again.
You don't need to dramatically increase the difficulty.
You need another opportunity to follow through.
The first step gets you moving. The next few help you establish a rhythm again.
Give Yourself Something to Build On
Something interesting happened when my gym introduced a new check-in system.
I could suddenly see a record of my attendance.
At the time of writing this, I have 612 recorded visits, and my current streak is 104 consecutive weeks with at least one visit.
I don't share that because I think everyone needs to train as frequently as I do.
And I certainly don't share it because I've never experienced setbacks.
I share it because it reminds me how much of what we accomplish is built through individual decisions that don't seem particularly remarkable at the time.
There wasn't a 104-week streak when I started.
There was one week.
Then another.
And another.
But here's what matters for someone who's trying to return after a setback.
You don't need to think about the next 104 weeks.
You need to think about the next opportunity to show up.
That's it.
If you're coming back from illness or injury, that might mean prioritizing recovery, rehabilitation, or a gradual return rather than immediately resuming your previous training.
If your work or family responsibilities have changed, it might mean finding a new schedule that fits your life as it exists today.
And if you've simply fallen out of a routine, it might mean accepting that the first few attempts will feel uncomfortable.
That's okay.
The objective isn't to prove that nothing has changed.
It's to find a way forward from where you are now.
Get the Engine Started
Maybe it's been three weeks since you last worked out.
Maybe it's been three months.
Maybe you've been telling yourself every Sunday that Monday is finally going to be the day you get back on track.
I understand how difficult that can feel.
And I also want you to understand something.
You don't have to make up for every workout you missed.
You don't have to punish yourself for the meals you ate or the decisions you made.
And you certainly don't have to rebuild everything overnight.
But at some point, when you're able, you do have to begin.
So before you finish reading, I want you to think about three things.
What's one routine you've been meaning to return to?
What's one meaningful action you can take in the next 24 hours?
And what can you do today to make following through easier?
Maybe that means getting your gym clothes ready tonight.
Maybe it means preparing tomorrow's lunch.
Maybe it means putting a manageable workout on your calendar and honoring that commitment.
It might not feel like much compared to what you used to do.
That's okay.
You're not trying to prove how much you can do on your first day back. You're trying to create a reason to show up for the second.
Get the engine started.
We can work on building momentum from there.
Not Sure Where to Start? Start Here.
Maybe you've been struggling to get back into training. Maybe your nutrition has taken a back seat to everything else going on in your life. Or maybe you know what you want to change, but following through has been harder than you expected.
Before you try to change everything at once, it might help to better understand where you are right now.
That's why I created the Disciplined Mind Assessment.
It's completely free, takes approximately 5–10 minutes, and helps you examine three important areas of your life:
Training: How intentionally and consistently you're approaching your physical development.
Nutrition & Health: How well your daily habits support your health and well-being.
Mental Fortitude: How you respond to setbacks, challenges, and competing priorities.
You'll receive a personalized report highlighting your strengths, opportunities for improvement, and a meaningful next step.
Because getting the engine started again doesn't mean changing everything overnight.
Sometimes it starts with understanding what's getting in your way.
Take the Free Disciplined Mind Assessment
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