I'm going to talk a lot about motivation on this blog. Motivation is, to me, the most important and most difficult part of working out, eating right, and being healthy. If you can stay truly motivated there is no reason why you cannot achieve your goals.
Whether you are a seasoned athlete or someone just trying to get in shape, giving yourself something to work towards will make a huge difference in your drive and motivation. Now, I'm not talking about the goal of just losing weight. So many people have losing weight as their only goal and get tired and burnt out when they don't see the speedy results everyone wants to see. No, I am talking about real goals, not just the results. Something that will give you something else to work towards besides just shedding the pounds.
What to do?
Signing up for races and mud runs is a great way to stay motivated. Most of these events consist of a certain level of commitment. You sign up months ahead of time and also pay months ahead of time committing yourself to the future agony. Once you have signed up you will find yourself working much harder than if your only goal was to lose weight. Events like these give you something to look forward to, and something to keep your mind off the weight scale. Knowing that you have to run a race at the end of the summer will make you work harder because you want to be better, not because you want to look better. You will go lift weights and go for runs, not to shed the weight necessarily, but so that you are ready, ready for this thing you already committed to. The weight will go away on its own, so try not to think about it.
Fun with Friends
Events like Tough Mudders are way more fun when you do them with friends. Not to mention it adds a whole other level of motivation. Say you sign up for a Tough Mudder with three of your best friends. It will be a great time! But, in the back of your mind you will know that you don't want to be, you can't be, the one that slows down the group. Doing these events with friends will also get you friends to workout with, and now, you all have the same goals in mind, so deciding on workouts won't be an issue. I talked a lot about the importance of having workout partners in my previous post on July 10th Having a Good Partner http://betterlifefitnessandfood.blogspot.com/2013/07/having-good-partner.html
Tell People
Suppose you want a goal to work towards but you don't want to pay money or sign up for an event. Do you have a passion? Or a sport of preference? Use whatever it is to motivate you by setting realistic goals that you can reach in a timely manner. Once you have come up with your goal of choice tell people about it. Be proud of what you are going to accomplish! Telling people will give you just a bit more motivation because you no longer will be letting yourself down by not accomplishing these goals. Once other people know, there is an expectation set and people will see you as someone working towards this goal and later when they ask you about it, you don't want to tell them you couldn't do it. It is important that other people know what you are working towards, you might even find that people offer to help you with your goals.
From My Experience
I have done mud runs and 5k's and half marathons, but the one goal that really got me working the hardest was back in my rock climbing prime. In the fall of 2009 I was 20 years old and I told myself, and other people, that before I turned 21 on April 20th 2010 I would send (climb without falling) my first 5.13a. I picked out a climb and got to work. (Apollo's Reed at Summersville Lake WV) By picking out a climb I knew exactly how I had to train for it and spent that winter indoors working on my stamina. By the time spring came my stamina was through the roof, I was cave climbing for 11min at a time without stopping. I did not get to go to Summersville as often as I would have liked, but it was enough, and on the last weekend before my 21st birthday I sent Apollo's Reed. At any point I could have thrown in the towel and said "maybe next year." Thankfully, I couldn't do that. I had told too many good friends that watched me train hard through the winter and I didn't want to let them, or myself down.
So find something to do! Pick out a goal and make it happen!
Remember to set SMART goals: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely
Read about SMART goals at http://topachievement.com/smart.html
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