So You Lack Motivation?

I hear often from a lot of people, how lack of motivation keeps them from reaching their full potential.  And let’s be honest, lack of motivation seriously stinks!

Trust me, I know.

Right after my husband and I  got married, I had a serious lack of motivation to push myself in my workouts. I mean, come on, I got my man and I was “healthy.”

But really, I was just full of lots of excuses.

• I had just moved from my little small town and I didn’t know the area
• I didn’t have a treadmill
• I was healthy enough
• I didn’t want it to become an obsession (which is good- but I think I let this became an out for me.)

The list went on, but I’ll spare you all the details. And even though I was working out and running, I know I wasn’t pushing myself the way I should have been or could have.
And that left me in a place where I didn’t love my current fitness level. Fast forward a few months and I got pregnant and I was able to run through my whole pregnancy. Oddly enough, it was my pregnancy that taught me about the “no excuse,” ideas. I wanted to be healthy for my son and family and I wanted to have an easier labor. Just saying 😉 

 It is so, so easy to find excuses and yes, I could come up with a million excuses, but really, a ONE HOUR workout is ONLY 4% of our day.

4%.

How many times do we (do I!) waste an hour on social media each day? Ouch. How’s that for a harsh truth.

Once I had Benaiah, I decided that I wanted to chase down some BIG fitness/running goals. Is it easy to keep running with having a baby?

No.

Do I always want to run and workout hard five days a week, every week?

No.

Is it convenient to workout while a little one is climbing all over me?

No.

Is it worth it?

YES. A million times yes.

When I run or workout, I am the best version of myself.

When I take time to care for myself I am glorifying the Lord by taking care of my body.

When I take time to workout, I can be the best version of myself for my husband and son.

When I take time to workout, I can be a better friend.

So We Know the Benefits, What are Some Practical Ways to Keep Motivated?

So, how DO YOU stay motivated? Good question.  Here are some tangible ways that I, personally, stay motivated, even when I don’t feel like working out or going for my morning run.

• • Picture your goals – goals are so important and I’m learning more and more each day about how vital it is visualize your fitness goals when you don’t feel like getting out of the comfy bed.
  • Get out of bed, right away. Personally, I love working out right away in the morning. On the same side of the coin, I also love sleeping. However, if I choose to sleep in and miss my early am workout, with each passing hour my motivation to workout greatly decreases. Getting it done right away is best!
  • Think about how GOOD you will fill after you are done. No explanation needed.

• Reward yourself! Once you’ve accomplished a specific goal (i.e. Running consistently for 3 weeks, finishing a hard race, working out five days a week for a month,) treat yourself to a fresh haircut, a nice manicure, or a fun new workout shirt.

• Sign up for a race! I love signing up for races because it helps me stay motivated to keep training and running, even when I don’t feel like it. I wouldn’t want to get to race day unprepared!

• Surround yourself with community. Accountability is so, so important! My husband, Landon, is super supportive of my running goals, I’m involved in some fitness/running groups and I have my own running community that I LOVE. Surrounding yourself with people who will pour encouragement into your life is a game changer.

I hope those tips help you guys on your running and fitness journey!

If you want even more encouragement and community, I would LOVE to connect with you on free Facebook Female Running Community.

Click HERE to join!

I’ll see you there and happy running.

Xoxo