Finding Motivation
Finding motivation to exercise (or motivation for anything really) when you are tired, burnt out, busy, stressed, depressed, you name, it can be HARD.
Even though it happens to me too, believe it or not, I have always found a way to overcome any lack of motivation that I have with one simple method.
The Power of Streaks!
What the heck do I mean by streaks?
You know, when you have done something for a long period of time without stopping? I hate to use it as an example, but it’s an excellent example—in AA a person gets a chip symbolizing how long they’ve gone without a drink.
That’s a streak.
You can also have streaks that aren’t good. Like if you haven’t exercised for a long time, you’ve started a negative streak. Or maybe you go on a candy or coffee streak and have one or the other, or both on a regular basis.
In this case, however, we are going to use streaks to our advantage by letting a streak motivate you to keep yourself on track.
Maybe this won’t work for everyone, and just like with AA, where you can “fall off the wagon,” it is possible to slip up. But the beauty is, you can always start a new streak.
Why do streaks work for me?
Ever since I can remember I have always had routines. They’ve changed throughout the years for what I do, but having a routine keeps it clear in my mind what I need to do, what I need to accomplish. And accomplishing my goals makes me feel good!
Not accomplishing my goals makes me feel bad 🙁
Streaks keep me honest. They keep me motivated because if I fail to accomplish one of my goals—most likely that means I have ended one of my streaks and I hate it when that happens.
I think it’s a big deal partly because I know deep down that we humans are creatures of HABIT. And if I suddenly fall into the habit of breaking my habits . . . my streaks, then I won’t be accomplishing my goals and I might end up starting a new streak, a BAD one. This would not be good in my mind because my current streaks are keeping me healthy, fit, happy and well-balanced.
Yes, I do have days when I don’t feel like exercising. And even though exercising usually ends up making me feel better, some days . . . it’s just hard.
So what do I do? How do I get motivated to run on days I’m just not feeling it? I push those negative thoughts aside and I go put on my running clothes.
Getting past that initial, “I don’t want to,” feeling is all it takes for me to get going.
I actually exercise a lot, it’s just part of who I am and what makes me feel human. I do tons of different things. I keep it interesting and I make sure that my exercise is well-balanced for my body’s health. On days when I don’t feel like doing something, I also just say to myself, “I’m lucky that I CAN actually go do these things!” I try to never take it for granted that I’m healthy enough to get up and exercise.
Not everyone will enjoy the same activities, some people are just NEVER going to be runners and there’s nothing wrong with that. Find something you enjoy to do, and you will be more willing to go do it without any of the negative thoughts.
I realize not everyone is like me, and that’s okay. But if you came here, then you were looking for ways to get motivated. This is one of the best ways I can share with you.
Start a new streak.
Make a decision for how many times you want to exercise each week. Pick a day, always (if possible) exercise at the same time on the same days.
Why?
Habit. Routine. Streaks. You will be more likely to keep your exercise date if you have one pre-scheduled rather than trying to fit it into your already crazy day. That being said, BE FLEXIBLE!
Be flexible because LIFE does have a tendency to get in the way and there will be times you will have to move your exercise day. So move it. No big deal. Your goal is a certain number for the week. Pick your best days, and then when necessary, move your day from time to time—always coming back to your normal routine when possible.
You have to make time for it. If you’ve done so, guess what? Your mind will be on your side most of the time. It will be telling you, “Look, you said it’s time to exercise, so . . . go do it. No excuses!”
If your mind is telling you otherwise, turn the negative thoughts into positive ones.
Remind yourself how much better you feel during and/or after your exercise. If you have a weight loss goal or fitness goal, remind yourself that every time you exercise you are getting one step further to reaching your goal.
If you need additional motivation to get going or you don’t know what it is you would like to do, please contact me and I’d be happy to help you 🙂
Pick something you really enjoy doing, this will go a long way in keeping you motivated to stay on track.
Start your streak today if possible. If today isn’t possible, start it tomorrow and then keep yourself going.
The longer you have kept your streak, the harder it is to break it!
And by the way, this idea works for everything. Finding motivation to study, clean, work, read, anything, all you have to do is set yourself a goal and then stick to it.
Thanks for reading!!
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