Lacking Motivation?

I was asked the other night, ‘what keeps you motivated?’ And I thought about that question for a while, even after answering it (any fellow big mouths out there)

And I think that for me, it is has to be more than just my physical body that keeps me motivated. For so long, running was just about doing an activity to lose weight or stay fit or stay toned and not about truly, running. I did love running, but it turned into something I had to do, in order not to feel guilty or to justify eating a certain amount of food. And that is when I find it a lot easier to be less motivated.

I am most ofo go out for a run or workout when I am soley focusing on the external value of exercise. Yes, exercise is important for the physical body, but for me, right now, running is also about doing hard things, challenging myself to push through pain and discomfort, setting an example to others, inspiring others, and using the passion and skills God has given me for his glory. And when I focus on those reasons coupled with gratitude > I am a LOT more motivated to get in that sixty minute training run.

A couple practical ways I fight discouragement or low motivation are

1. Remember/ visualize my why.  – Everyone’s why for starting running and living a healthy lifestyle is different and more than likely your now “why” will change in a year or so. I started working out/running to be healthy for my family and future kids. I now run and workout for the same reasons, but to take care of the body God has given me and to enjoy “me” time.
2. Remember I am an example to my son and others. Along with remembering my goals, I try to remember that people are watching <<< in a totally non-creepy way. 😉 Whether that be my husband, Benaiah, family, grinds, my running community or strangers, I want to be a good example to my circle of influence.
3. Picture success. – When I hit a hard run or feel lack of motivation to get out the door or am honestly, hesitant about how the run will go; I picture success. I imagine finishing strong. I envision showering afterwards. I plan my route and dream about all the fun things I will see. Visualizing a successful run doesn’t always mean it will be perfect run, but it does help that mental battle.(which I think is 80% of running!)
4. Chase after goals. Something else I like to do to keep my motivation up, is to chase my goals. If I have a goal to increase my mileage or speed, I need to be putting in the work to get there. This helps me as I think about every run being a deposit into our running “bank account.”
5. Sign up for a race. When I sign up for a race, there’s money on the line and a bit of pride. I don’t want to be bragging about how I am running a certain race and the not train for it and fail. Signing up for a race really spurs me on to pushing myself when otherwise, it would be easy to get comfy and “coast.”
6. Think long-term. Another motivational thought is thinking about all the long-term benefits running gives. Does running mean I’ll live to 114 years? No. But, even if it never gave me extra years to my life, it does add life to my years. And that is worth running for.
7. Imagine the finish line. Similarly to visualizing a successful run, I like to picture how GOOD it will feel as I cross that beautiful finish line. I believe there is nothing so invigorating as a finish line. Imagine how awesome you will feel as you cross that line of victory!
8. Picture how good it feels to finish a run. This really doesn’t need any explanation.
9. Trick my mind. I like to play this game with my mind. If I am running a certain distance that I just don’t feel like going, I trick my mind into think it is easy. For example, if I am running a 10 mile run, I just tell myself I am running 5 miles 2x through. I’ll also convince myself that I have a lot longer left in my run than I actually do. That way I am surprised when I “realize” just how little I have left.
10. Just do it. Don’t over think it. Lastly, I just do it. I try not to listen to my mind as it tells me of all the things I could be doing or tells me how tired I am, etc. Usually, I will, simply, shut my mind up and break out the running shoes.

I hope this encourages you to chase after your goals, enjoy the journey, and stay committed to making those day by day choices. The little, seemingly insignificant victories to lead to something spectacular. Just wait and see.