I'm trying to clean out my email, though I don't think I will ever get that done without another hard drive crash (I've gone through 4 of them). Anyway, I came across this about motivation.
Apparently, I'm not terribly motivated, which I find to be a sad truth most of the time. Once I get going, I do great, but the getting going is always a challenge. Once I break some kind of positive streak, I often give up. So really, I think the key for me is the simple motto, "Try, try again."
Also, long-term goals don't work so well for me. Yeah, living for my kids is a great idea, but there are chocolate chip cookies in my cupboard RIGHT NOW. For me, it's really important I have short-term goals and rewards. It doesn't even have to be that big.
One of my biggest motivators is having a simple calendar and putting an X through the day when I exercise. Something that small and stupid provides an immense amount of satisfaction for me. I was doing it at the beginning of the year when Vamp and I were running faithfully, and I had two months full of bright pink Xs. My calendar was mysteriously buried under a pile of junk on my table when I wasn't running anymore. So I guess it's time to dig it out and tape it in an obvious place where it can't get conveniently buried again.
Another thing I noticed is if I lost contact with people or my online group (see link in the sidebar), it gives me license to be lazy. Kim has witnessed it a hundred times in the group, which is why I asked her to co-moderate for me. Someone had to be responsible, and it wasn't me! I avoid calling people with whom I'm supposed to run (cough, cough). I'll even avoid reading email. When I post something every day, even if it was just what I did/didn't do, I do much better in the long run. That's the good thing about my group not being super-busy. There isn't any excuse not to read stuff.
In the end, it's all a matter of priorities. When I say I don't have enough time, it's 99% certain I just don't feel like doing something I know I should be doing. Like when I am avoiding cleaning my house, I'll suddenly find some very important paperwork I should complete, or suddenly, it's the perfect time to go grocery shopping. Same with exercise. There is rarely a day I can't fit it in, but I claim I don't have the time or energy. Not that I'm not working like a dog and putting in extra hours at my job, but I also refused to drag my lazy ass out of bed a few minutes early, and I really really really wanted to watch Grey's Anatomy.
Last (I promise!), I do not give myself enough credit for little things. If I make a goal of working out five times a week for 30 min. (like last week?), and I don't do that, all I can do is berate myself for not making my goal. Forget that I ran one day and did yoga another day. I had two days of working out. Maybe it's not the five I wanted, but it's two more than none. Should I have a parade and take a full page ad out in the paper over doing two days? Of course not, but I also shouldn't be telling myself what a complete loser I am, because I didn't do five days. Two isn't enough to reach my ultimate goal, but it is more than nothing, which is what a true loser would have done.
What I am losing is youth. I turn 38 tomorrow, and I have been feeling every damn year of my age lately. It's very difficult not to bemoan why I didn't exercise when I was young and resilient. I can't do anything without aching anymore. How in the world does anyone over 40 run marathons and stuff without an IV drip of ibuprofen? Sometimes I wonder if I'm just not cut out for all this, but I kinda like it, so I'll keep trying.
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One Year Ago Today:
Nothing
