Motivation

Motivation to do just about anything is probably the hardest part of any plan. There are just plain ol' days where I just do not want to get out of bed, much less workout, study or do any sort of "work". There is an intrinsic value to motivation that no amount of someone else's soap box speech or "look what I did" is going to change. I don't really have an answer here. I'm not sure how to tell someone to do something they flat out don't want to do, because many days I feel the same way. A few things that do seem to help from time to time are:

1. Making a list of things I need to do and prioritizing them.

2. Scheduling out my day.

3. Following my schedule.

Doing these basic things is how I get through nursing school. I absolutely HATE research papers and the like, but they do eventually get done. I approach fitness in much the same way.

The next big thing is that whatever you do it needs to be fun. If your exercising, but its something you love, like a dance aerobics class or swimming, time goes by and it's over before you know it.

If no amount of what I am saying sounds remotely motivating, then perhaps right now isn't the right time. There maybe other more pressing issues at hand that need to be dealt with. I can tell you probably a good 20 or more things that would keep me from exercising if they came up (i.e the night before an exam that I wasn't comfortable with, the birth of a child, or death of a family member, stressing about life issues). I'm not saying abandon your goals, I am just saying if there is something so pressing that you can't get it out of your mind while exercising, take care of it and come back when things aren't so crazy.

But the biggest thing is coming back and starting over. Restart- It what I do ever Monday when I have over done the weekend. Hell, I say that I press my "restart" button a few times a week when I feel that I haven't done my best. I'm not giving up, I'm just going to try again later and do it better next time. Changing the way you eat and exercise isn't going to be something that happens over night. It's a step by step process; building blocks so to speak. And you have to find what works for you.