BEYOND THE BLOG - Motivation the Elusive Elixir
- Anna Ryan
- Nov 3, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 6, 2023
Its interesting writing a Blog about Motivation and finding challenges with being motivated to write it in the first place.....aaaahhh the irony.
Motivation is at times an elusive elixir that ebbs and flows for all of us in every aspect of our lives
Show me a fit person and I guarantee you they are often not feeling motivated.
Are they Disciplined - absolutely
Consistent - without a doubt
Encouraged by the rewards they are reaping - for certain
BUT - motivated??? Probably as rarely as you & I are.
So here are a few thoughts on how we can bring a little bit more Motivation into our fitness & lives in general.
Flexible GOALS
Set a goal for how many times you will move your body this week & make it non negotiable.
HOWEVER, make the execution of that goal flexible.
You're goal might be to work out 4 times a week but the way you work out & how long for and what days may change ........because LIFE!!!
You will feel far more motivated with flexible rather than rigid goals - its a far more compassionate way and approach.
You may have missed your walk this evening...thats ok get up half an our earlier tomorrow and squeeze it in then.
So again, you set a TARGET that is non negotiable in quantity, but flexible in execution.
The details may change but the expectation is met regardless.
As you start to hit those weekly Targets the results and pride and sense of well being you experience will assist in Motivation going forward
REWARDS
Rewards come in three component preemptive, during and post.
Preemptive might be something like new active wear, sneakers, a pre workout coffee.
During might include listening to your favourite podcast, getting into that always waitlisted class, discovering a new playlist...
Post could be a coffee with a friend (there is that delicious beverage being referred to again), an episode of your favourite Netflix show (Below Deck is my current guilty pleasure/reward), an extra long hot post work out shower.
I mean, who doesn't love a REWARD - and if you can throw in 3 easy cheap and cheerful ones all the better...
ACCESSIBILITY
Set yourself up for success! Make your capacity to move as accessible and achievable as possible. An "All or Something" mentality
Lay out your active wear the night before.
Allow yourself to "just" go for a 20 minute walk or "just" spend 30 minutes at the gym. That mental accessibility of self permission to make the session short.
Accessibility has a lot to do with actually choosing movement that you enjoy - if you hate getting sweaty than a hot yoga class is probably not going to be very "accessible"
To write this Blog I would leave my laptop open and set up on my kitchen bench ...super accessible for me because I do like to eat and I literally have to walk past my kitchen (and strategically left laptop) multiple times per day...
MOTIVATION is a big topic - I do hope one (or all) of these tips have set your movement goals into motion and we will certainly revisit it again in future blogs.
Till we meet next,
xo Anna
Comments