Ideas to keep you motivated

[AndyO]

Okay, im trying to stay consistant with my jogging/working out. Does anybody have any suggestions?

[Hsiang-Lin]

What's always worked for me is assurances of how easy the activity is.

Like Ronnie Coleman (8x Mr. Olympia) would say when lifting super heavy weights, "Lightweight!"

Similarly, when I am on my last stretch of running and in pain, I activate what I call my "crazy mode" and say to life, "Is this all you got? Pssh. This ain't nothin'."

Call me crazy, but for some reason this attitude inspires me to work harder when I'm demotivated or in pain.

Now let's go joggin'! Piece of cake

[AndyO]

Wow, thats interesting. I'll keep that in mind next time i go jogging. Thanks

[stevej]

I have found that having a prepared exercise plan that can be repeated regularly at the same place and time with minimal variation soon makes your exercise commitment a habit, a bit like brushing your teeth every morning.

I perform a regular set of core strength and cardio exercises that i have been progressively improving my strength and fitness around for years. I have made the gym a habit each morning on the way to the office. It is hard to imagine not doing this each day.

I tried a few time to go to the gym at a later time of the day, It did not work. I could not settle my mind and be focused on the training. The change in time meant i felt different and the environment was different, as simple as the position of the sun in the sky and the different patrons using the gym at that time of the day upset me. I even have found i can not perform as well if the gym equipment is moved around the gym, i need the consistency right down to the place i am standing when i lift.

I tried using a different gym when i traveled, also no good. It might be OK for a light workout or cardio but in strength training unless you are going for gains you are largely wasting your time.

So my advice would be to find a time you can generally always make your fitness time. Also have a routine set of exercises you can workout on and work to improve on as your challenge, this will also help to keep you from getting bored. Keep reminding yourself your fitness is important, give it value and make it a habit I rate the three most important things in my life with three F's:
Family =1
Fitness =2
Fortune =3

[micth]

change your beliefs

rather than think of jogging as something you have to do that's hard and painful, think of it as something you choose to do for enjoyment and wellbeing... focus on the positives rather than the negatives... alot easy said than done though

[Gabriel.B]

What personally helps me a lot are songs, I've gathered a bunch of tracks which are motivating or activating in one way or another (music,lyrics etc) and just dump them in a playlist. Blast them and just go wild, visualise that which you want to the track, physically moving helps a lot too.

[Jehosephat]

I agree wholeheartedly with Bhairava. Having a great collection of songs that get you going help a lot. Also, if you use the same track list every time you run, it can help you keep a good pace and get that consistency up. For the longest time, I was not a runner at all. Then I signed up for a half-marathon. I found a training schedule that I knew would have me ready for it in time and told everyone I knew that I was going to run it. This gave me a solid goal, and a solid plan of what I had to get done each day to acheive it. This was key for me because without some purpose, I found the benefits of running difficult to quantify.

[julien]

Once you are fit to the point that girls compliment you about it, nothing can stop the machine ...

[Henry]

Originally Posted by Hsiang-Lin

What's always worked for me is assurances of how easy the activity is.

Like Ronnie Coleman (8x Mr. Olympia) would say when lifting super heavy weights, "Lightweight!"

Similarly, when I am on my last stretch of running and in pain, I activate what I call my "crazy mode" and say to life, "Is this all you got? Pssh. This ain't nothin'."

Call me crazy, but for some reason this attitude inspires me to work harder when I'm demotivated or in pain.

Now let's go joggin'! Piece of cake

How bout a Ronnie Coleman "YEAH BUDDY!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2BW8K6-kS0

[Alex]

Originally Posted by AndyO

Okay, im trying to stay consistant with my jogging/working out. Does anybody have any suggestions?

This is what worked for me.
I did a 30-day walking 30 minutes experiment, which I combined with a 30 day early (6am) riser experiment. So I'd wake up 6am and go right outside with my iPod for a 30 minute walk. After 4-5 days this became an automated task. I enjoyed the idea of having to complete this short-term goal and let nothing stop me from walking everytime because if I did I would lose.

What this did for me was establish a habit and get me used to the idea of being out there every morning. After the 30 day trial was completely successfully I was able to upgrade to jogging every morning on the same route that I had previously walked. So now I was spending less time but doing the same distance. I couldn't jog the whole distance the first day, and would walk the rest after i couldn't run anymore. I decreased the amount I would walk each morning until I jogged the whole amount.

Progression of habit upon habit got me through it.

Another thing I did was keep a journal/log for each day where I would mark off that I did indeed stick to my committment and the way I physically felt during the run, and that day in general. I noticed weekly, if not daily improvements in health and focus and could attribute it to nothing else.

A great side effect of working out like this is that you stay away from bad food. You start to think, why am I working so hard exercising and then eating bad food to take away the gains. And from there it all spirals upwards

[micth]

wow nice post Alex, thats a really good idea.
I'm definitely going to try that

[AndyO]

Originally Posted by Alex

This is what worked for me.
I did a 30-day walking 30 minutes experiment, which I combined with a 30 day early (6am) riser experiment. So I'd wake up 6am and go right outside with my iPod for a 30 minute walk. After 4-5 days this became an automated task. I enjoyed the idea of having to complete this short-term goal and let nothing stop me from walking everytime because if I did I would lose.

What this did for me was establish a habit and get me used to the idea of being out there every morning. After the 30 day trial was completely successfully I was able to upgrade to jogging every morning on the same route that I had previously walked. So now I was spending less time but doing the same distance. I couldn't jog the whole distance the first day, and would walk the rest after i couldn't run anymore. I decreased the amount I would walk each morning until I jogged the whole amount.

Progression of habit upon habit got me through it.

Another thing I did was keep a journal/log for each day where I would mark off that I did indeed stick to my committment and the way I physically felt during the run, and that day in general. I noticed weekly, if not daily improvements in health and focus and could attribute it to nothing else.

A great side effect of working out like this is that you stay away from bad food. You start to think, why am I working so hard exercising and then eating bad food to take away the gains. And from there it all spirals upwards

This is a great idea, thanks alex!

[Alex]

Originally Posted by micth

wow nice post Alex, thats a really good idea.
I'm definitely going to try that

Originally Posted by AndyO

This is a great idea, thanks alex!

You're welcome, both of you.

This idea did stem from Steve's
30 Days to Success Article

[dcldnl]

Set your goals. Tell to more person you can your goals.
If you know that a lot of people near you are waiting your goals you'll be motivated.

[Ibanez]

I believe setting goals will help with keeping progress going.

1. Set a longer term goal,i.e I want to snatch 150kg
2. Break it down into smaller managable goals, i.e for November I will add 5-10kg to my snatch.

Of course, a huge component of working out is doing it for yourself. If you do it to get validation from others your setting yourself up for failure.

Like someone else said a sports journal is also helpful. Try to find a method that really works for you.

[AndyO]

Wow, these are all great ideas! I doubt I'll run out of things to try before one really works for me. Thanks

[Mitalp]

Here's what I do.

1. Clearly define your BIG WHY?

Why are you running. This has to bigger than just to lose a few pounds or just to get healthy. Those why's make it too easy to cheat. Your why has to be emotional. My why is the 3 girls I have to take care of. And on that last stretch when I feel like I'm going to collapse and can't go another step, I see their face and I'm so effortlessly carried to the end. This reassures me that no matter how hard things get, I'll never give up on them. This also keeps me from getting lazy about running. Everytime I think of running, I think of them and then there are no if's, and's or but's.

2. Set new Goals Everyday

Everyday I run a little further than I did the previous day. This keeps me stretching and growing. I reach a new goal everyday. This lets me know I can do whatever I put my mind to. Great boost in confidence!

3. Visualize the run

Everyday right before running, I close my eyes relax and imagine myself doing the whole run. You feel as if you already did the run. So when that last stretch come's you'll say to yourself, "I've already done this, there's no reason I can't do it again."

4. Stay focused on Positive Motivating thoughts

I stay focused on plesant thoughts that drive me. When I begin notices thoughts of being tired or not being able to finish, I instantly shift to some that excites me. Usually I'll just stay focused on the music.

5. Music

Can't do anything without music, especially run.

Try it this way. You'll see running in a whole new light. You'll begin having great intution and creative thoughts. You'll see running is beyond the body, it has great effects on the mind and soul.

[Malkovich]

Originally Posted by julien

Once you are fit to the point that girls compliment you about it, nothing can stop the machine ...

So true... sex has always been the biggest motivator for me

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by micth

change your beliefs

rather than think of jogging as something you have to do that's hard and painful, think of it as something you choose to do for enjoyment and wellbeing... focus on the positives rather than the negatives...

I agree. We condition ourselves to think about how challenging something will be rather than how beneficial it will be.

[Zulu]

"rather than think of jogging as something you have to do that's hard and painful, think of it as something you choose to do for enjoyment and wellbeing"

Ditto

[child]

Now i am going to the gym 6 days a week and it is very fun.

what i did was similar to Alex's:

I wrote my general goals everyday and one of them being healthy and fit. I imagined myself that way whenever i can. (Still doing these things)

My first goal was to make it a habit and a fun one. My first rule was to go the gym. You dont have to exercise, just wake up in the morning and 'same time everyday' go to the gym, listen to your ipod or read something. Do not force yourself. Run if you want but be there every morning at the same time. You will end up doing light exercises and then progress from there.

In 2 weeks i lost 4 kg fat then began gaining muscle and in a month i quit smoking.

In short:

1- Write your goals
2- Visualise yourself as your ideal self
3- Make it a fun habit before doing the actual thing
4- Measure your weight, size etc... Watch your progress
5- Begin with little steps not pushing yourself.
6- Celebrate and be grateful for your every success.
7- English is not my native language sorry if you dont understand

[Pat P.]

Hi,
I started to do an exercise routine in late August this year, and I have dropped about 12 pounds since I started (it also coincided with me stopping using sugar). My main goal was to improve my general condition because it was restricting my tennis game. The weight dropping has been a nice by-product.

I decided to do a 30-day trial, using Steve's idea to install new habits. It worked wonders. I started doing a 30 minute routine (20 minutes on a treadmill or elliptic machine, plus 10 minutes of light weight lifting), but quickly I extended it to a 1 hour routine.

What helped to keep on track was the fact that I listen audiobooks while working out. Sometimes I get distracted, but I don't mind to listen the staff more than once. And when I don't have anything else to listen to, I tap into my collection of podcasts (I recall doing a Steve's week where I went though all 16 podcasts in one week).

Hope it helps,
Pato

[paperwings]

Want motivation to run? Read about Dean Karnazes. He's an Ultrarunner from San Francisco who competes in 50-350 mile races without stopping. On September 17th, he started his 50 marathons in 50 days in 50 states tour. He invited runners from everywhere to run with him. I had the pleasure to join him in Indiana.

He finished in NYC just the other day. It's an amazing story and he's inspired millions and raised money for his charity (Karno Kids). You may want to pick up his book, "Ultramarathon Man: Confessions on an All Night Runner"

Oh, and when he was done he decided to run back home.

That's right, a few days ago he started his trip from New York City to San Francisco by foot all by himself. He's pushing a running stroller full of his things infront of him. This, after running 50 marathons in 50 days, is mindblowing.

Here are some links:

Ultramarathon Man: Dean Karnazes | Ultramarathon Man Dean Karnazes Extreme Marathon Runner Long Distance Endurance Althete
The North Face Endurance 50
E50: Where's Dean Tracker (Follow Dean on his way home!)

Adam

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by micth

change your beliefs

rather than think of jogging as something you have to do that's hard and painful, think of it as something you choose to do for enjoyment and wellbeing... focus on the positives rather than the negatives... alot easy said than done though

Yes I agree. Try to think about why you need to stay fit, ie the ethics of health.

It might be motivating to be a fit father/mother figure to your family or kids. It might be that you have a strong will to ensure you will not beome a burden to anyone. Whatever rocks your clock.

[Calculusaurus]

Originally Posted by micth

change your beliefs

rather than think of jogging as something you have to do that's hard and painful, think of it as something you choose to do for enjoyment and wellbeing... focus on the positives rather than the negatives... alot easy said than done though

I totally agree. This is a powerful idea. However, it has its shortcomings and it's important to realize them.

I started exercising and made it an activity I did for enjoyment and wellbeing. Exercising was easy for a while, but I noticed that eventually I, how should I say, got bored.

I exercised because I enjoyed it, but sometimes even things you enjoy don't seem worth your time.

So it's good to supplement a "change in beliefs" with other motivational strategies.

[vibrostation]

Music could also be used for motivation. Find the music with lyrics that are motivating and rhythm that is inspiring. If the lyrics are strong enough to linger in your mind, they will also serve the purpose of teaching you the practical lessons of life.