Motivation

Where do you find motivation after a long day at work? Or after any of the exhausting tasks that come with adulting? Life can and will wipe out the best of us. Let me share a tick I use.

First, I would be remiss as CPT if I didn’t mention that you should have a goal that is specific and attainable. The standards, “I want to lose weight” or “I want to get in shape” do not meet this criteria. I won’t go into details here, because that could easily be a post in and of itself, but I am happy to answer questions about goals in the “comments” below.

My trick? When I am beat, whooped, and/or tuckered, but still have a workout to get done I use the ten minute trick. I tell myself, “stretch and do ten minutes of MIIT (moderate intensity interval training). If you are still exhausted call it a day.”

Almost always at ten minutes I am feeling better, because for me and for a lot of us getting started is the hardest part. But not always! Sometimes I am still exhausted, so I thank myself for the ten minutes, and I am done. The appreciation of the ten minutes is a key part of my success rate. Never beat yourself up for stopping at ten minutes. Or how will you trust yourself next time? My long distance workout partner, Kevin Driskell, always reminds me, “Listen to your body.” We are in this life for the long haul.

But what if every workout turns into a ten minute trick? This is where I tell you that would be a problem, right? Wrong. If you are exhausted, truly exhausted, after ten minutes every workout than that is where you are at this moment in time. And if you work out for 10 minutes, 4-5 days a week, for six weeks–you have created a pattern of working out. That pattern will make a great base for wherever you want to take your workouts and/or active lifestyle.