Working out isn't everyone's cup of tea, and it certainly wasn't mine for a long time. Sure, I was active in sports throughout my childhood, but it was enough. I played tennis and then also took up volleyball starting in middle school and played until my last year of high school. On top of it all, school and homework took up most of my time, so I didn't have any free time left to work out. It wasn't a priority of mine back then.
But then I moved away to college and I wasn't interested in joining any sports teams. I was fortunate enough to live on campus in a building that had a gym. Albeit small, it was just enough, and most importantly, it was accessible. I decided to start working out, simply running and doing a few strength-training exercises. This lasted maybe one month during my freshman year because my schedule and homework caught up with me.
The second year didn't see me going to the gym often. I'd get into the groove, workout for a few days or weeks, and then stop for months on end. It would never last, though, because something always came up. This was true for another couple of years. I would start and stop working out. Then, when I got a dog and was walking for roughly an hour total each day, I felt again, that it was enough. I didn't dedicate time to working out. I tried and kept failing to keep up a routine.
However, one month ago, everything changed. My pattern of trying and failing finally stopped and this is the longest I've ever been consistent. I re-downloaded a fitness app I had tried before to help keep me on track. I was determined this time; I would stick to it. I'll admit it though — weekends haven't seen me working out a lot, so I re-adjust my schedule for the following week and skip a couple of rest days to make up for missed days. I don't hold this against myself and just remind myself to be true to how I'm feeling on any given day. I'm committed to consistency this time and I won't be giving up any time soon.
The lesson I've taken away from this is that I will never again give up on my goals despite any setback and keep trying until I succeed.