How to Stay Motivated to Exercise When You’re Not Feeling It.

Journal, Positive Life, Self Discovery

In the beginning of your fitness journey, it is normal to feel a lack of motivation. Starting a new regimen can be intimidating, and sticking to it can be even more so. Consistency, however, is the single most important factor in realizing your health and fitness goals. That’s why we’re here: to keep you inspired and on track while you work to improve your health and fitness. The right mentality and approach can help even the most inexperienced person achieve success. Let’s dive in and find some ways to keep exercising even when you don’t feel like it.

  1. Set Realistic Goals

One of the keys to staying motivated to exercise is to set realistic goals. It’s important to remember that fitness is a journey, and progress takes time. Set specific, achievable goals that align with your fitness level and lifestyle. Whether it’s running a 5k or doing ten push-ups in a row, setting small, measurable goals will help you track your progress and stay motivated.

  1. Find a Workout Buddy

Exercising with a friend can be a great way to stay motivated and accountable. Not only will you have someone to talk to and laugh with, but you’ll also have someone to hold you accountable. Studies show that working out with a partner can increase motivation and sticking to exercise routines (1). So, grab a friend and hit the gym together!

  1. Try Something New

If you’re feeling bored or unmotivated with your current workout routine, try mixing it up. Trying a new workout class or activity can be a fun way to challenge yourself and keep things interesting. Plus, trying new things can help you discover new fitness passions that you may not have known existed.

  1. Get Enough Sleep

Sleep is essential for good health, and it plays a crucial role in exercise performance and motivation. Getting enough sleep can help you feel energized and ready to tackle your workout routine. Studies show that sleep deprivation can negatively impact exercise performance and motivation (2). So, make sure you’re getting enough rest to fuel your workouts.

  1. Reward Yourself

Rewarding yourself for reaching fitness milestones can be a great way to stay motivated. Whether it’s treating yourself to a massage or buying a new workout outfit, giving yourself a small reward can help you feel accomplished and motivated to keep going. Just make sure the reward aligns with your fitness goals and doesn’t sabotage your progress.

“Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going.” – Jim Rohn.

  1. Remember Why You Started

When you’re feeling unmotivated, it can be helpful to remind yourself why you started your fitness journey in the first place. Whether it’s to feel more confident or to improve your health, focusing on your reasons for starting can help you stay motivated and committed to your goals.

Staying motivated to exercise isn’t always easy, but it’s worth the effort. By setting realistic goals, finding a workout buddy, trying new things, getting enough sleep, rewarding yourself, and remembering why you started, you can stay on track and reach your fitness goals. Don’t let a lack of motivation get in the way of your health and fitness journey. Remember, every workout counts!

References:

  1. Williams DM, Dunsiger S, Ciccolo JT, Lewis BA, Albrecht AE, Marcus BH. Acute Affective Response to a Moderate-intensity Exercise Stimulus Predicts Physical Activity Participation 6 and 12 Months Later. Psychol Sport Exerc. 2008;9(3):231-245. doi:10.101

10 Ways to reduce the complexity of your usual life

Journal, Learning, Positive Life, Self Discovery

The society in which we live is really hectic. I am sure you got it. There are a great deal of commitments that we are expected to fulfill. There is a great deal going on right now. Someone, somewhere, is constantly in need of something. There is a high probability that any opportunity you have to relax will be disrupted by another problem, wish, emergency, or distraction. There is little opportunity to relax and take some deep breaths. Think about this if you wish to keep things straightforward in your life…

  1. Figure Out What You Consider to Be Most Important

Knowing what is truly important is the first step in living a life that is simpler and more enjoyable. What aspects of your life do you prioritize? How would you describe the lifestyle of someone who lives a modest life? Writing down the top four to five objectives of your life and using that list as a guide might be a useful tool.

  1. Get rid of all the extra stuff

You and your dreams become stifled when you accumulate more and more stuff. When you have a lot of things, you also have a lot of things that need to be taken care of and worried about. Consider yourself a first-time buyer and examine any room in your house as though you were doing it for the first time. What can be ditched? What can be preserved? After that, get started on the process of decluttering.

  1. Establish Normal Daily Habits

It’s important to establish routines so that you can get things done while still having time to enjoy life. You should begin by identifying any activities or responsibilities that involve repeating the same steps. Make it a habit to develop routines that you can perform almost mindlessly. You will economize both time and effort as a result of this.

  1. It’s Ok to Say No

Saying “no” more often will help simplify your life, even if it hurts to let people down. It means you’ll have fewer commitments and more time to focus on what really matters. The ability to say “no” and mean it is a powerful tool in achieving success.

  1. Relish your time with those you care about

Life is easier — and, truth be told, more enjoyable — when you prioritize spending time with the people who matter the most to you. In other words, you shouldn’t abandon your loved ones. You need only identify who deserves your undivided attention.

  1. Cut ties with negative people in your life

Toxic friends, family, or partners can complicate our life more than anyone else. Remove the unnecessary complexity from your life by choosing not to participate in their drama. Try to spend as little time as possible in their company.

  1. Curb your online habits and usage time

A simple life does not consist of being constantly available via notifications, social media, or email. Although it may be challenging, it is important to find methods to minimize the disruption caused by your phone and email. One step in the right direction is to schedule times when you will check your email and social media accounts.

  1. Cut Down on Clothing Clutter

Probably only about 20% of your closet items get any actual use. Then why do you keep so many clothes that it’s difficult to find something to wear? It’s time to pare down your closet to a select few high-quality, versatile staples. Just think about how much more relaxed your mornings just got.

  1. To get the most out of your week, plan it out

The best method to streamline your week is to spend some time planning it out. It serves as a guide for your future actions. There will be no more time wasted wondering what to do next or rushing to finish off tasks you forgot about.

  1. Put an end to your striving for perfection

Paralyzing perfectionism is a real problem. You just freeze up. When we have a lot on our plates and it all seems too much, we tend to focus on the big picture and not on figuring out how to break it down into manageable chunks. then we end up sitting around doing nothing. There’s an African parable “How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”

Do you have any tips on ways to simplifying this life to make the journey ever more pleasant? Share it in the comments.

3 Tips for Getting Things Done

Journal, Learning, Positive Life, Self Discovery

Is there one person in your circle of friends who seems to breeze through even the most challenging tasks? Are you curious about their methods? Because they appear get a lot done!

Here are three strategies that can boost your productivity to the level of your most successful peers.

Observe Rest Periods

In spite of appearances, taking a break can actually increase your productivity. When you give your mind some downtime for relaxation and inspiration, it can perform at its peak. Taking short breaks throughout the workday can help. Try for once an hour if possible, but more often is fine as well.

Stop what you’re doing and go to the restroom, grab a bite to eat, or get some exercise during your break. Experiment with different interval lengths to determine how often you need to rest your mind, and then adhere as closely as you can to that schedule.

Timed sprint of work

Setting a timer for each work session is just as important as taking frequent breaks. Set the timer for a short period of time, no more than 20 or 25 minutes. It doesn’t matter what time it is. Working out the optimal duration of your work sessions will require some trial and error. Creating manageable sub-goals can boost your motivation and make the overall task seem more manageable. You’ll be more productive if you know you have to beat the clock.

Also, if you have trouble getting started, remind yourself that you’ll only have to focus on your work for 20 minutes at a time. This should put you in a much better frame of mind in which to get things done.

Reduce Outside Distractions

People who are easily distracted can benefit from working in short sprints. Reducing the number of potential interruptions in your work space is also helpful. You should turn off email alerts and check your inbox at a set time every day. Don’t bring your personal electronics like TVs or phones to the office. Do not eat at your desk.

Don’t waste your mealtime doing this when you could be relaxing instead.

In addition, having a specific place to work can help signal to your brain that it is time to get down to business.

If you take frequent breaks, work in short sprints, and eliminate distractions, you’ll find that increased productivity finds you even when it seems impossible. Soon you’ll be like that one friend who always seems to get everything done, leaving everyone else scratching their heads and wondering what they’re doing differently.

Read It: Seven Greatest Success Ideas

Journal, Positive Life, Self Discovery

Put the wisdom of the world’s most brilliant thinkers to work for you so that you may achieve real success and happiness in your life now.

Plato and Socrates,  Aristotle, Confucius,  Thomas Aquinas. The names of the great philosophers are still revered today, even after hundreds or even thousands of years have passed, since their concepts continue to enthrall audiences, provoke new lines of inquiry, and have a significant impact on the development of human history.

But what exactly are those thoughts? Why do they continue to have such an effect on the way people think, comprehend, and behave? Most importantly, in what ways may they assist YOU in living a life that is happier, healthier, and more satisfying right now?

Public philosopher, author, and well-known business adviser Tom Morris shows in his book The Seven Greatest Success Ideas: ‘A-HAs That Are Guaranteed to Take Your Life to the Next Level what the greatest thinkers in human history have to say about what it takes to attain genuine success in the 21st century.

Tom  presents the most profound insights that have ever been articulated by the human mind, and then makes the connection between those insights and your own personal, day-to-day experiences in a way that is so crystal clear, so potent, and so illuminating that it will permanently alter the way you look at the world.

Along the journey, you will also come to the realization that you, too, are a philosopher, endowed with the intrinsic ability to think profoundly and constructively about the issues that are of the utmost importance. You will discover how to stop chasing the wrong things and start asking the right questions by using the great philosophers as your guide. These are the questions that will bring you directly to the answers you want as well as the success and pleasure that we are all striving for. You will come away from reading The Seven Greatest Success Ideas with a knowledge of the world we live in that is infinitely more profound, textured, and clear; as well as of your position and purpose within it; and of the opportunities for genuine success that are all around you.

You’re Stopping You!

Journal, Learning, Positive Life, Self Discovery

“Have you ever had a great idea but didn’t follow through on it? If you identify as a “perfect” human being, you have. I’m not talking about anything extravagant. There’s nothing earth-shattering here. Simply said, it was an excellent concept that would have generated you more money. But you didn’t do anything about it. Speaking from experience here!

Full confession I’ve let many ideas remain as just that ideas. I’m the kind of person who thinks deeply and creatively. I’ve always had an ability to understand clients and come up with unique solutions for them. However, I must admit that I personally don’t feel I’m particularly successful. That’s due in large part  because I’m certainly not where I want it to be. 

The irony is that I have more fantastic ideas for growing my business. The issue is that I’ve not put many of them into action. 

So, how about you?

Have you have more ideas than you do actions? Why don’t you simply get started?

I became curious as to why I was operating the way I do, and began doing a lot of intraspection.

I started considering what it was that was preventing me from acting on ideas or plans that may result in substantial rewards?

These are some of the basic reasons I found.

1. A lack of an inspirational and compelling goal

The lack of a why is referred to as Purpose. Without a solid purpose, the urgent takes precedence. The build up of emails in the mailbox takes over. The call from a friend for help takes over. Inertia takes control.

We learn in physics that it takes more energy to break away from inertia. That energy is added by a strong aim. The energy that organizes your efforts and brings the most essential things to the forefront. You need an inspirational purpose to break free from the shackles of your existing routine.

2. Lack of a clear view

Consider yourself at a six-way stop in a fog so dense that you can’t see a single landmark. Even the traffic signs are incomprehensible to you. Which path will you take? Will you be confident in your choice of direction, or will you continue cautiously, expecting for the fog to clear before picking up the pace?

Everyone—at least everyone in business—wishes to go someplace. However, without a clear vision, it is impossible to see where you wish to go. And if you don’t see it, how will you act boldly and confidently toward it—whatever it is?

So, even if you have a strategy to get you…somewhere, you’re unlikely to carry it through. 

3. Unwilling to make sacrifices or put in the effort

You already have a lot on your plate, and anything additional you take on means something will have to be sacrificed. Sacrifice entails giving up something valuable in exchange for something even more valuable. That suggests there is something more precious to give up for. And you haven’t said what that “something” is. Or maybe you’re not convinced it’s worth it.

I began to place giving up leisure time, relaxing time, play time, or whatever in the same category. But it always comes down to sacrifice, and the key question is whether or not it’s worthwhile. (guilty as charged) There are moments when I feel I have something essential to do, but it isn’t important enough to get me to drop other “priorities”. 

4. Lack of faith

If you are positive that something will work, there is no danger, and you will most likely act. On the other hand, if you are uncertain—and most things are to some extent uncertain—you may ask if the risk is worthwhile.

Perhaps ‘it’ will work in someone else’s hands, but you don’t think it will work in yours. In other words, you lack faith in your ability to do the task, and the danger is too large.

Each of these concerns may be solved by having a strong purpose and inspirational goals to work toward. When these are powerful enough, they increase the potential benefit and shift the risk-return ratio in favor of action.

5th. Fear

It all boils down to fear at times, and this was the elephant in the room for me. You have a vision and a goal, and you believe the risks are manageable. But what happens if it doesn’t work out? What happens next? That’s what fear is. It’s not going to turn out the way you want it to. So, what will you be left with? Worse, not only will it not work out, but something negative will occur as a result of it.

6. All the other stuff

You simply have other commitments. What do you mean? Family or maybe a job. Thing is could some of it be eliminated or placed on hold?

It comes down to balancing what you have goin on with your purpose and aspirations.

You may need to refocus your priorities and rethink your alternatives in order to devote your available time and energy to pushing you on the right path.

So, how about you?

What’s holding you back? Any one of these six things, or a combination of them, can hold you back. It’s much simpler to confront and move forward after you have identified what is holding you back.