My 10 years of darkness
In 2007, when I joined McKinsey as a consultant, outwardly, this was the peak of my life professionally. I had just gotten a job in New York that was a dream for most MBAs.
Yet, I was struggling and literally in pain. My health was in shambles and my lower back hurt.
It all started in 1998, when I graduated from the National Police Academy at the peak of my health. Things were looking good. But unfortunately, I made the same mistake that most people do – I became busy. So busy that I stopped working out or taking care of my health.
Soon, long hours of sitting started causing back pain and in 2002, I had a disc prolapse in my lower back, causing me excruciating pain. For the next few years, even walking and sitting became painful.
Now, how would I work for 14 to 16 hours a day at McKinsey, with that nagging pain? But I had no choice and I somehow did it. I would occasionally buy pain patches from the CVS pharmacy on the ground floor of my office building.
But consulting was so busy that I literally couldn’t even find 15 minutes for myself. And this continued till 2009, when I told myself: “No more. Enough is enough.”
I was done with feeling weak and living in pain. But how to break out of this trap of ill health? It is not that I hadn’t tried in the past – more than once, I had resolved to start going to a gym early in the morning. But I would do it for a week or two and then quit.
However, in 2009, I did something different – as a result, today 15 years later, my workout habit is still as strong. I avoided some common mistakes that people make when trying to build new habits. And if you can adopt even some of them, you can make 2025 the year of change.
How I finally saw light
Here are the things that I did differently that helped me break out of the rut:
- Giving yourself the gift of ‘fresh start’
I quit my high-stress job at McKinsey in New York and moved to a more relaxed job in Mumbai. This shift included a new city, job, and lifestyle. The drastic change created a “fresh start” mindset, giving me a sense of a new beginning.
Why it helped: External changes like this act as a psychological trigger for internal transformation, making it easier to break free from old patterns. That is also why a new year triggers the strong desire to change.
- Go from a lukewarm to a do-or-die priority
I promised myself: Health was my number 1 priority, even deciding that I would quit my job if it didn’t allow time for workouts. I was so sick of not being fit that I was not willing to continue that anymore.
Why it helped: Making half-hearted commitments is worse than making no commitments, because the former guarantees failure. And soon, you tell yourself that change is not possible. If you really want a change, be willing to go all out.
- I was truly excited about the change – I wasn’t taking it up as a burden
Instead of seeing workouts as a chore, they became a source of excitement and adventure.
Why it helped: When you treat any habit building as a burden, you fail. But when something excites you, your success is nearly guaranteed.
- Don’t combine a change you want to make with other hard changes
I am a strong proponent of waking up early. But if your schedule does not allow you to sleep early, then waking up early becomes unsustainable. And if you combine the new workout habit with an unsustainable habit, the change won’t happen.
By focusing on one manageable change at a time (i.e., only working out), I avoided overburdening myself and made the new habit sustainable.
- Accountability
I hired a personal trainer who ensured I showed up for workouts every day.
Why it helped: Accountability prevented me from skipping workouts, especially on days when I felt unmotivated. This helped me avoid the trap of relying solely on self-discipline, which can waver. If you can find friends to be on a journey with you, your odds of success more than double.
- Surrounding yourself with folks with same goals
In my new job, most of my colleagues were also fitness enthusiasts, and gym routines were a common topic of discussion.
Why it helped: You act like people around you. Period.
- Routine
I built a structured routine where gym sessions became a natural part of my morning—workout first, breakfast later.
Why it helped: A fixed routine eliminated decision fatigue and made the habit automatic. It avoided the trap of inconsistent schedules, which often derail habits.
- Just showing up
On days I didn’t feel motivated, I still showed up at the gym, just for a warm-up.
Why it helped: Most days, once I started, I ended up completing my workout. Most of our troubles come from inertia, which this simple yet effective approach breaks.
- Finding joy
The initial days of working out were hard. But 3-6 months later, I began to see my body, endurance, and strength transforming, I started loving my workouts. Once I reached a point where workouts became intrinsically rewarding, the habit became unbreakable.
Use these learnings to build any habit
All these factors are relevant for building any habit. And the more of them are aligned for you, the greater the odds of your success.
Whether you want to build fitness, focus, or calm productivity – 2025 could be the year for that change. And we offer programs that give you a roadmap to make those changes. All you need is determination and enthusiasm.
I wish you a wonderful 2025. Let this be your best year ever. 🎉
Rajan