It's in the bag.

While motivation plays a key role in getting you out of the house and into the gym, there are organizational things you can do as well. For example, you may remember the post I wrote about keeping a diet and exercise journal—still a great idea. I'd also like to suggest that you devote a drawer or shelf in your closet to all of your exercise duds. Keeping these articles of clothing in one space means you won't have to dig when it comes time to change for the gym. Which also means it will be easier for you to cash in on the motivation you've summoned up, rendering the old "I can't find my running shorts" excuse totally useless.

You should also keep a gym bag packed so that when you walk out the door, you'll be good to go.

Just like the drawer or shelf, a gym bag eliminates the need to dig for lifting gloves or a water bottle. It's all in the bag, and all you have to worry about is grabbing your wallet and car keys. But what should you pack? That's really up to you and your individual needs. We don't have lockers at Anytime Fitness, so I see a variety of gym bags and I'm always wondering what they're filled with. And since you're probably wondering what I've got packed in the bag above, here's a picture:

Now tell me, what's in your bag?