Day one is always great. I think, “This is totally easy. No problem. I’m gonna follow through, turn into a decathlete, probably win a gold medal and donate all of my endorsement-deal earnings to charity.” And then I go to bed too late one night and accidentally hit my snooze button twelve times the next day and miss my morning workout. So I put off my workout until the afternoon. And then I realize it’s Shark Week, so I mentally move my workout until the next day. I say, “Oh, no biggie, I’ll just workout extra hard tomorrow. That will totally make up for it.” The next day? Same story. By this time I realize I’m totally off-schedule, there is no hope of me even making it past 30 with these workout habits, and I find relief at the bottom of a half-gallon of Moose Tracks.
These tips for staying motivated in the gym (or in anything else you pursue, like following a Bible reading plan) are from my own experience. They’ve worked for me, and I hope they can do the same for you.
Tip 1: Set realistic goals. You aren’t going to turn into a marathon runner over night. If you just want to be able to run a mile, start by walking half a mile. Work from there. If you can see the lighthouse, you’ll be able keep the ship from running ashore.
Tip 2: Make a plan. If you say you are going to work out three days a week, make room for it in your busy schedule. You’re going to have to juggle things around, but you have the time to do it. If you look at your week ahead of time and know you’re going out of town on Friday, adjust your schedule to make sure you stay on track and get your workouts in before the weekend. I even book time on my calendar to make sure I follow through.
Tip 3: Find a buddy. Talk to someone with goals similar to yours, or someone who has achieved a goal you want to obtain, and see if they’ll join you in your journey. It’s easy to miss a workout when you decide you don’t have time; it’s not easy to miss a workout when your friend is laying on the horn waiting to pick you up to go to the gym. Accountability is huge, and it will keep you, and your friend, working towards your goals.
Tip 4: Track your progress. Write down what you’ve done. No one is going to look at you funny when you walk into the gym with a hipster PDA. Get the old legal pad and pen out, and write down what you’ve done and you’ll be able to see your results over time. When you see the progress you’ve made, you’ll be encouraged to keep at it.
Tip 5: Don’t lose hope. If you miss a workout here or there, don’t feel like the weight of the world is on you. These are your goals, not anyone else’s. I promise once you get into a habit of doing something, you’ll miss it when you don’t follow through.
Tip 6: Have fun. You’re going to find out that you’ll legitimately enjoy something that you originally might not have done if someone paid you. I hated running. I mean detested it. I would have rather push mowed two-acres of grass in the middle of August than run a mile. Now I get all jittery if I don’t run a few miles a week.
This is a lot to digest, but I know that these tips have helped me. If you need a little more motivation, maybe pick up one of these to hang over your mantle.
Your thoughts: What do you do to stay motivated?