I need some major motivation!!

I don't have any motivation speeches to make and no pep talks either, but more a straight forced way to get you to workout. Here's the way I did it. Over a year ago, I never worked out. So I made a pact with myself to never take a shower at my apartment. Yup, you read it right, never take a shower at my apartment. That forced me to go to the gym everyday. Now, once I got to the gym, wasting all that gas and time, I might as well do a work out. Even if it was for 1/2 hour of workout, I worked out 1/2 hour I wouldn't have otherwise. And I saved money on water and heat

Yes, sometimes I went to the gym just to take a shower, but overall, I have had a 99% success rate at this. And it's been working for about a year now.

After a couple of months, the workout becomes habit and even so, I still don't take a shower at my apartment. I guess that became habit also.




Edited by auto208562 2005-01-04 11:43 PM

What's your plan for January?

Motivation comes and goes. I haven't been motivated since early December, but if you check my log, you can see I workout 3 to 5 times a week. I plan each week and make a commitment to follow the plan. I don't care if I "feel" like working out or not. Most times, I don't. But I do. Because it's scheduled.

It's like marriage. You don't feel love for your spouse every day. But you're still married. It's the commitment, not the feelings. Motivation is just a feeling.

Another example is a job. How many people wake up in the morning "motivated" to go to work. But they do.

Get your workouts on a schedule. And just do them.

Why did you choose the goal of triathlon? Because it seems like a good way to get in shape, because you think you should do something to get active and this seems like a good thing, or because you genuinely like at least 2 of the 3 disciplines? What do you think is your single biggest reason for not wanting to go anymore? What's your real, end goal? Is your real, end goal getting stronger and becoming physically fit? Or is it to compete in a multisport event? If it's the first, there's a zillion ways to do that. If it's the second, you have to develop the mental ability to get around what you don't like doing and press on, because your mind is the most important part of the sport. And of course there are a zillion types of multisport events too....which I think is pretty cool. Hate the swim? Kayak instead, or go for duathlon. Hate the boring run? Do an adventure race.

Wanting the end results of something is just not enough to keep most people motivated, no matter how badly they want it. You have to be willing to make the lifestyle changes that go along with a consistant exercize program. You have to find your own reasons for doing what needs to get done in order to achieve what you want, and then you need to find strategies that will work for you when you start thinking "screw the goal, I don't want to do this anymore".

For me, what works is refusing to spiral into the "original-sin" thinking of "well, I screwed up today, and I'll likely screw up tomorrow, so I may as well quit". Turn that thinking around and I get "every little bit counts" which is so much more positive and motivating. When I don't feel like a workout, I tell myself "Well. I'll just go and do [x] for 5 minutes. Just 5 minutes won't kill anybody. And then I'll have done something and I can quit." And then I say "You're already here, so why not go for 10. You can easily do 10 minutes, you do it all the time." Etc. Giving myself tiny, easily do-able goals. What I've found is, as long as I know I have the option to quit at any time, I won't quit. That works for me, you have to find what works for you.

You can do anything you set your mind to, absolutely. You just have to learn to believe that.

Okay... Here we go.. You need to stop making excuses and get out there and workout. Start out slow 30mins and work you way up to an 1 hr.

Set some short term goals.

Go to the gym three times a week for 30 mins.

Jog/Run for at least 15 mins and walk 15 mins.

Another thing is going to be your eating habits. These will play a factor in how you feel..

Find something you like and JUST DO IT!!!

I have been in the same boat before and you have to look from inside yourself to make it happen..

Good Luck...

I've also found that making small adjustments is the best way to eventually make a bid adjustment. It's almost impossible to say "Okay, I'm going to work out 5 times a week starting NOW" and do it if you're only averaging about 1 or 2 days a week now. But you can do things like: I'm going to walk quickly around the block before going into work every day. Or I'm going to stop eating chocolate only during the week, but the weekends are fair game. Or I'm going to buy a head of lettuce and try to eat it before it rots (and I'm going to give myself extra time by putting it in airtight container and I'm going to buy full-fat blue cheese dressing to make it go down easier). As you make incremental changes, they start adding up. You can make more incremental changes when the first increments are absorbed and habit already. But try to make too many changes at once, and it's difficult to adjust.


amanda