The Battle of Wills: When Getting to Class Feels Like Hard Work

Monday evening is “I Can’t Do Anything, I Have Ballet Class” generally. But for the last couple of weeks it has been “I Can’t Do Anything, Including Get My Butt Off the Couch”.

Usually, I have a couple of hours between finishing work and the start of class, enough time to go home, eat something and, fatally, sit on the couch for a little while. This is where most of the battling happens and recently I have lost epically.

But I do have ‘good’ excuses for both missed classes. No, really, I do. The first week the rain was hard and horizontal (Scottish rain, dear reader, Scottish) and for me the studio is a 30 minute walk away. My knees are obnoxiously loud enough in a class, I didn’t want to add squelching to the cacophony. And dancing for an hour and a half whilst soaking wet and then having to walk through the cold home? No. I stayed on the couch.

This? 

Or this?

The second week I was in negotiations with a migraine—full blown or just the hint of one? I think if I had gone to the class I would actually have felt better, but sadly the little voice in my head that says “But I just can’t be arsed” won any sort of argument.

Again, I stayed on the couch.

Last night I was determined: I had to go. It wasn’t raining, just a bit windy, and I felt fine. There would be no excuses, the couch would not win this one! So I trudged up the hill, then down to the studio, greeted everyone and class began. The first plié exercise at the barre included a forward, then back port de bras: inhale, lift the arm a little, exhale, fold forward and  … it felt like all the molecules in my body were rejoicing at that blissful streeeeeeetch.

Oh, that my thighs were that skinny...

Mentally and physically I have been missing ballet; I only really appreciated just how much when I was back at the barre.

As with many things that are good for us but aren’t much fun to do, sometimes getting started is the hardest part. Once over that hurdle, I think “Well, I’ve started now, I’m on my way to finishing” and I’m annoyingly stubborn enough to see things through (not always a good thing). But the battle of wills is to make that start. In this case, sometimes the couch is just too comfortable and the prospect of leaving it is just too unpalatable. It is so much easier to give in.

I am, however, hoping that the last few weeks have taught me something. Several times last night, during the class, I thought “I love this! How could I miss it?” and this morning my muscles felt that pleasing ache of having worked hard. I am going to cling to these things next week when I am considering the trudge to the studio. My ammunition in this particular battle: “I love it when I’m there.”

Port de bras back.

I suppose the reason for this particular blog (spiel) is that I’m hoping that if you are eyeing your couch and debating whether you’re going to sit there all evening, or make the trudge to the studio, you might think two things: “The hardest part is getting started” and “I will love it when I get there.” Then you’ll turn your back on that traitorous couch, pull on your dance gear and walk out the door.