Exercise Motivation Week 10 – mo·ti·vate – Verb

November 26, 2014

“Man who waits for roast duck (or turkey) to fly into mouth must wait very, very long time.” ~ Chinese proverb

Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you all are staying warm and safe today!

What is the best thing you learned in our ten weeks discussion on exercise motivation?

If nothing else I hope the take away is that exercise motivation is not genetic, accidental, or magic- It is created. Yes, it is easier for some more than others. There are SO many factors that affect our motivation for anything. This is why the internal work is SO essential.

You can and WILL create your motivation with the internal and external supports in place to build strong motivation that can weather any storm.

Here are the key factors we discussed:

1) Get CLEAR on what makes a healthy weight so important for you right now. What will you have more of? Less of? Beyond the number on the scale – what do you really want?

Vision without action is mearly a dream. Action without vision just passes time. Vision with action can change the world” ~Joel A. Barker

2) Develop LAZER FOCUS on that goal. Before you step on the scale – remind yourself of your true goal. Remember the feather (see video on Oct. 3^rd) – Keeping your eyes on the true prize helps you not get distracted by societies hang ups with the numbers.

3) BELIEVE you can get there. Let thoughts of past failures only be reminds of how much you have learned on this journey – use them to help you believe you can get there because of what you know now. Watch what you say, think, hear – and make a quick comeback like “I KNOW I can do this now!”

4) BE HONEST with yourself. This will boost your belief. What is REALLY getting in the way – embarrassment, pain, not being able to do what you used to do, equipment, fatigue – knowing the true barriers allow you to find the right solutions.

5) DETAILED planning matters! Just saying “I will start going to the gym this week” or I will “walk more” doesn’t give you enough support to get there. Spelling out the details – how, when, where, with who – will provide structure to make it easier to achieve your goals. “I will walk at lunchtime for 5 minutes Monday – Friday this week”. Identify challenges and environmental supports too “I will set an alarm on my phone at 11:45am to remind me and I will ask a co-worker to come with me”. NOW you have something to build motivation on.

6) What are you READY for? Remember the stages of readiness to change. (see Oct. 30^th). If you are not ready for action – set planning and prep goals. Check your confidence in your ability to do that goal. Be PATIENT with yourself. Success breeds success. Starting right where you are greatly improves your chances of success.

Action is the foundational key to all success~ Pablo Picasso

7) Be SMART about your goals (review this see Nov. 10th) – This acronym gives you a checklist to be sure your goals are setting you up for success and great learning. Let’s be clear – goal setting is tedious! It takes some time and structure. Is it really necessary?? YES- behavior change doesn’t just happen. Take 10 minutes a week to set SMART goals and review them. “but I should just be able to do it – I know it is important!”. Yes, it is important enough to plan for your success. I am happy to help you with this – just email me.

8) LEARN – this is one of the best parts of SMART goal setting. Whether you achieved your weekly goals or not – if you learn something about your exercise motivation – you win. Ask yourself “what was the best thing I learned this week in setting these goals?”. Like mining for gems – they are there – keep digging for them.

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, dont adjust the goals, adjust the action steps~Confucius

success puzzle 9) Build External Supports – your NOUNS of motivation – people, places, things. (see Nov. 20^th) – These are your safety nets – keep them strong. When you fall short of your goals, look for the “holes” in your safety net. Who could help you with this? What could you do to your environment to help? What things could have helped?

10) And #10….(drum roll please) The word “Motivate” is a VERB – an action word. To motivate yourself you have got to take action! So… no more saying “I’m just not motivated” – now ask yourself “how can I motivate myself?”