Keep Yourself Motivated

“An object in motion tends to stay in motion. An object at rest tends to stay at rest.” This is Newton’s First Law of Motion. It can be really tough to stay motivated depending on what’s going on in your life and the world. You’re busy with work, kids, dinners, not to mention a global pandemic. Winter can be especially hard to keep it up with shorter days and less Vitamin D to keep you energized. It is a challenge, but moving is important to your wellness!

One of the best things we can do to stay well this winter is just start moving. Even if it’s just a little bit. Test Newton’s first Law and see how it applies to you and your life. There are some other motivational hacks you can put into place in order to stoke your motivation flame. Get it lit, and keep that fire licking so you can keep feeling the burn, pandemic be damned!

So how do you stay motivated? It’s different for everyone, but maybe a few of these tips will feel just right for YOU.

Here are some tips to keeping in motion, even when it’s just plain HARD.

Get in touch with your “WHY”

What does this look like?  Simply ask yourself why you want to move your body.

• Longevity and vitality

• Ability to play with kids or grandkids

• Fit into your old jeans

• Feel better physically or look better naked

There are no wrong answers here, only what is true to YOU. Hold on to your why on those mornings that it’s really hard to get moving.

Visualize what success looks like

See your ideal self-doing the thing you want to do most. Use all your senses to describe the sensations of having success. You did it. See yourself doing it. Be it. Pretend in your mind it has happened, and then live as if it did. You’ve already won in your mind, now your body will learn to catch up and make it happen.

Have extrinsic motivations

This could be in addition to your why list, but extrinsic motivations are external reinforcements.

• Looking good

• Being able to run a long distance or other physical goal

• Showing your spouse, family, friends your progress and determination

• Pay yourself or give yourself another reward for consistency

Get an accountability buddy

Accountability is important because it encourages multiple levels of performance. It helps us focus, it builds our confidence, and it discourages setbacks. Choose wisely, and find an accountability buddy that you can participate equally in encouraging each other. Finding one who doesn’t have the same or more motivation can be a setback.

This can come in different forms.

• Workout buddy

• Personal Trainer or Health Coach

• Fitness group or class

• Telling someone to ask you regularly about your workouts or progress

Have backup plans

There will be days when the unexpected happens. Don’t let it crush your spirit! Expect the unexpected and have a plan in place for it.

• Go for a brisk walk while you take the unexpected call

• Shift your workout time to afternoon if you’re needed at work or school

• Sick kid at home? Find a great online workout class (BCB!)

• Shelter in place again- clear out a small area and workout on your yoga mat

Put a negative consequence in place

Just as positive consequences reinforce good behavior, negative consequences discourage bad behavior. If you skip 2 workouts in a row, make a negative consequence come into play. Ideas…

• Pay your partner $50

• You can’t watch your favorite show until you make up the workout

• No coffee tomorrow morning (ouch!) 

• Pick up your neighbor’s dog poo or shovel their walk 

*There are other negative natural consequences, and it doesn’t hurt to have those in the forefront of your mind as well to help motivate.

• Weight gain

• Low energy

• Low self-esteem

• Inability to move well and chase kids

• Not being a good role model

• Poor health

Take baby steps

Many times, we get overly ambitious and go for Olympian style workout status and find ourselves unable to continue. Start SLOW. Build with baby steps. Off the couch?

• 10 minute walk 3-4 times per week

• 10-15 minute online workout 2 times per week

• Restorative yoga

• Something you feel 90% confident you can accomplish (before you add more)

Give yourself a dopamine hit

Are you a list person? Some of us, ahem, LOVE to scratch an item off a list! Love to see a gold star on your calendar? Get some gold stars and get them ready. Have some place, some visible way, that you can track your progress and watch it build each day. Enjoy the feeling of the little daily reward your tallies give you.

Tap into your strengths

At some point you were successful at completing something. What are you truly proud of that you have accomplished? What strengths did you draw on to get there? Was it perseverance? Discipline? Focus? The end goal? Revisit the past and remember how you did it before, because using that same strength, you can do it again. Tape that word to your mirror to help you remember you CAN.

Make it FUN with REWARDS!

Everyone loves a reward. It makes it that much easier to get excited about moving your body, knowing the reward is coming. Here are a few ideas.

• Massage

• New workout gear

• New tech gadget

• A book, album, tv show or movie

• Fun date night

• Weekend getaway