Or sculpting. But if I do a different one each night, I can trick myself into thinking some are easier, just because they're different. "Oh, no big deal going to the gym today," I'll tell myself.

Repeating positive mantras — or smug reminders of how virtuous and disciplined I’m pretending to be — changes my attitude toward hitting the gym. Instead of thinking of it as a difficult and ...

Or sculpting. But if I do a different one each night, I can trick myself into thinking some are easier, just because they're different. "Oh, no big deal going to the gym today," I'll tell myself.

I make myself recognizable to the instructors. I take classes almost exclusively. When an instructor enters the classroom, I make eye contact, smile, and say "Hi." When I'm limping out the door, I ...