| Staying Motivated
Our natural state is to be motivated, energetic
and excited. Think of how you've felt when taking on a project that really
interested you.
We only lose this positive mindset when we
allow negative thinking to take over. We permit discouraging thoughts to
sidetrack us, like "I'll never make it." "This is too hard." "I'm not making
any progress." "I'm too old."
Learn to recognize and question these
negative thoughts. "What is their basis?" "Why should I believe them?"
"Who's really talking right now?" "Are there other, more positive
explanations?"
Many people use goal-setting and healthy
competition to stay motivated, but obsessive competition can be
discouraging. We are all born with different capabilities. So what if your
neighbor is already up to three miles a day and the best you can do right
now is one? Make sure your goals and expectations are reasonable and
realistic for you.
Be careful also not to compete with who you
were twenty years ago or even five. Our bodies are constantly changing and
that person is gone forever. Be thankful for your physical capabilities and
opportunities right now.
We lose motivation when we won't get our
reward until sometime in the future. Find ways to enjoy the activity now,
such as the sense of achievement and pure physical pleasure you get from
your workout. Also, don't wait for motivation. You've got to take action
first. Action creates motivation!
Here are other tips to staying motivated:
- Include Friends
and Family: Walking with a partner not only makes your training
session more fun and safe, but will also increase the likelihood of your
doing it. Make sure you pick a partner whose goals and interests are
similar to yours and who is willing to support you and motivate you to do
your best.
- Schedule your
Workout: If you develop the exercise habit, your walks will
become a fixture in your life, not a whim. Not walking will feel
unnatural.
- Add variety
to your exercise routine: Go a different route or a different time of day.
Cross-train with a different activity on 1 or 2 days per week.
Including walking into your busy schedule
will be an adjustment, and staying motivated will be equally challenging.
However, if you have the willingness to work through the initial emotional
discomfort as you move step by step through a safe and effective program,
you will find the confidence, commitment and determination that will ease
the way.
When you begin achieving great results, the
excitement and fun you experience will make the change well worth the
effort. |
