How to Stay Motivated to Workout

I often get asked how I stay motivated to workout everyday. It’s honestly one of my least favorite questions because the truth is...there isn’t just one short answer.

Motivation is HIGHLY individual...what gets me going might not work for you (innuendo completely unintended ) and let’s be REAL, staying motivated to do just about anything is really hard! And, when you add HARD work, sweat, and an hour-long time commitment to that, it becomes just too much of an uphill battle for most women. Especially if you...have kids...work all day...have 5 million other things on your to-do list to get accomplished.

"It's the start the stops most people," and getting started is the hardest part, hands down. Once you get moving...you're fine and actually you feel A LOT better after. You feel accomplished, bad @ss, and productive! It gives me some SERIOUS clarity and I'm always zipping around after.

While I’m kind of a fitness fanatic, there are times that I really don’t want to work out. Let’s face it, after a long day at work, sitting on the couch watching TV, or playing on the internet can sound A LOT more appealing. Working out in the mornings sounds good in theory...but doesn’t always fit in with the morning chaos of getting kids ready for school.

So how the heck do you get motivated to wake up before dawn or workout after a long day at work if you’re not a fitness nut and sometimes you HATE the thought of exercising?

1) Write Down Specific Goals

You’ve probably heard that setting goals is important, but that’s not enough. Goals must be specific, quantifiable, and you need to set a date! Write down your goals and put them somewhere you can see them! I actually wrote mine down and hung them up by my bed where I would see them EVERY morning when I got up and EVERY night before going to bed. Keep them visible! Reading them helps condition your subconscious mind to believe in your goals. Your outward actions (exercising and eating well) will reflect this desire & belief.

2) Reward Yourself Along the Way

Think of one major reward and a few smaller “milestone” rewards. Let’s say you’ve set a goal of losing 20 lbs. When you reach that goal, buy yourself something big, go on a trip, or get a makeover (hair, nails, new clothes, makeup, etc.) BUT also, every time you hit a 5 lb milestone reward yourself with something smaller (NOT FOOD). Be creative with it and choose rewards that REALLY will motivate you. I also recommend setting goal dates for those smaller milestones to keep yourself accountable along the way.

3) Sign a Commitment Contract With Yourself

This one goes a step further than just writing down your specific goals and setting a date. Now you’re upping the ante! This will be a document that you will write up, sign, and if you’re REALLY serious put your money $$$ where your mouth is!

Your contract should include:

• Your SPECIFIC fitness goal
• What you will DO to obtain that goal (how often will you workout, what kind of exercise, etc.)
• Any obstacles you will face in your diet/fitness and what you will do to OVERCOME them (if I can’t find a sitter, I will workout at home, etc.)
• Date you MUST reach your goal.
• Signature & Date of Contract
• What your “punishment” will be for not sticking to it (be CREATIVE or have a friend help you decide and make sure you stick to it)

4) Visualization

I am ALL about this! Picture how you want your body to look and feel...Dig deep!

Answer the questions about your visualization:

• What are you wearing?
• What are you doing?
• Who are you with?
• How exactly do you feel? What is your emotional state?
• What is it about the way you look/feel that is so appealing? Anything in particular?

Once you have a clear and detailed image of your visualization, whenever you are faced with an obstacle to exercise or healthy eating, think of this visualization. Think about it often. The power of visualization can have a BIG impact!!! This helps me TREMENDOUSLY! Find a picture of your dream body and hang it on your fridge!

Never trade what you want MOST for what you want NOW !

5) Track your Progress

How on Earth will you know how far you’ve come and how close you are to your goal if you aren’t measuring it?! This doesn’t necessarily mean weighing yourself daily, I know that can be a trigger for some people and also can be a little misleading if you’re gaining muscle while losing fat. I recommend weighing yourself once a week (at most) OR trying on a particular item of clothing (HELLO skinny jeans!) that you really want to look good in. Even better would be measuring your fitness progress by monitoring what you are able to do now that you couldn’t do the week before (12 min/mile instead of 13, or 10 more push-ups without stopping, etc.) And, most of all, keep track of how you FEEL...as you go along, you should be feeling stronger, healthier, more ENERGIZED!

6)  Join a Challenge Group

This was a game changer for me. Once I opened up about my goals and let people know what I was trying to do...I found support in a lot of surprising places. Tell your close friends and family about your fitness goals. Making changes to your lifestyle can be hard! It's nice to know someone has your back! I absolutely LOVE the positive energy!

Join my team here and I'll support you every step of the way!

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