You know those things you really want to do but you end up procrastinating or worse, never start? I have a few tips for when this hits me and I need some extra motivation. Trust me, this is for me today just as much as it is for you guys.
- Check in with myself. Is this even a goal I still want to achieve? I think a lot of times we get thrown off by what we think we “should” do and then wonder why we aren’t excited about it. A goal set by someone else will rarely excite or inspire me. If I get quiet and decide, yep, this is something I really want, then I proceed to the next step(s).
- Start small. Say I am procrastinating doing a workout. I can’t go in telling myself I have to do an hour on the treadmill. If I am not feeling it, I’ll tell myself just do 15 minutes. If it’s miserable, well then I’m done quickly but I almost always go longer. Once I start with just a little the initial hurdle of overwhelm is gone.
- Remember why I started. What made me excited do this in the first place? If I’m training for a race it’s impossible to love every single workout so I need to visualize my end goal. I like to see myself showing up as my most authentic self who is vibrant, confident, and works out because she loves the feeling afterward. It’s normal to not always feel motivated!
- Focus on gratitude. I GET to do this. I get to put one foot in front of the other and run or lift weights. I get to cook a delicious dinner because, gratefully, I can afford healthy food. I get get into bed early and read because I have an open schedule, etc.
- Finally, let it go. I only truly fail when I quit so I stop dwelling and don’t call myself lazy. Start over this afternoon, tomorrow, or this weekend. We always have a choice to change and redo things. I used to get so stuck if I ruined my exercise streak. I thought I had to wait until the next day or the next first of the month or whatever to start again. Nope. No one gets to set the rules but me.
I usually end up using exercise/running as a metaphor because it is one of the easiest to comprehend but these steps can help with any of your goals you keep putting off.
Bonus tip: If all else fails reward yourself! See pic of me with an oat milk cappuccino. Haha, but seriously, as long as the reward is in proportion to the task, I say go for it.
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