Ugh
When I first got my “ideal body” I wanted to just wash my hands of the whole fitness thing. Great, I’m hot! No more! We’re all done here! Back to sitting on my couch indefinitely eating bags of potato chips for every meal (I still do that, but I digress). Building habits is hard, maintaining them isn’t as easy as we’re led to believe.
There are a lot of different “stats” out there that claim different amounts of time required to turn something into a habit. Honestly, I think they’re all crap hypothesized by well-intentioned people and then reposted for views by “motivational” instagram accounts. We’re all different, and habits are as easy to break as they are to make.
Establishing a routine requires motivation and discipline. I struggle with discipline, I always have. I’m a serial procrastinator who does best under a time crunch, so I’ve learned to be very relaxed until it’s time to panic. Motivation is different, I’ve got that for days–but it’s hard to do anything about it with no discipline! See the problem?
So how do you adjust your fitness plans when you’re struggling?
1. Establish Goals
This might seem obvious, right? But what exactly are your goals? Are your goals just “get hot”? “get more fit”? These things are vague, and hard to measure. It’s also best to avoid aesthetic goals if you’re someone who (like me) really struggles with body image. The body you want will never be in grasp because it will always be changing. You’ll hit a point that the old you will have thought looked amazing, but the new you hardly sees a change. Not ideal.
No, tangible goals should have numbers, or goal posts. I want to deadlift 200 lbs. I want to jog two miles without stopping. I want to do ten pull-ups. These are things that you can measure, and that are disconnected from aesthetics.
This month I have a goal for myself: I want to go to the gym every day (and add cardio to my workout every day, even if it’s only five minutes). This has been a bit of a doozy for me. I’m generally a four or five day per week gym-goer and I do dedicated cardio once per week. Switching it up so my schedule now includes 7x (well, probably not exactly but this isn’t the time for math) the amount of normal cardio and two extra days of exercise in general has been overwhelming and sent my body into overdrive. I’m constantly hungry and tired–but I also feel amazing.
This goal has been measurable, achievable, and because it’s short term, I feel like I can maintain it and find something new for March. I’m excited to see if there are any physical changes after the month is over, but physical changes aren’t what I’m here for.
2. Reward Yourself
I like to use what I call “the toddler system” when I’m feeling unmotivated. I will reward myself with some kind of treat if I do the thing that I’m supposed to do. This might seem childish (literally) or counterproductive, but I found it immensely helpful during my graduate program, and I feel confident in its ability to help out.
Do you want a new book? Tattoo? Game? Snack? Set a goalpost and meet it, and then you get your reward. Now as an adult, it takes that pesky discipline to not just…get the thing when you want it. But if you establish a reward system for yourself, you’ll have the motivation to meet the next goalpost.
3. Find Accountability Buddies
Does anyone else hate the word “buddies” ? No? Just me? I couldn’t figure out how else to word this.
I’ve always been a lone wolf kind of character. I don’t want help, I can keep myself accountable on my own or I’m not going to do it (at least in the fitness area–I’ve recently joined a writing group for just this reason!). A friend of mine, though, has been using me for accountability. They’ve been trying to get to the gym a few days per week, and I keep them updated (mostly just for show) when I go daily. This kind of “working together” is working for them, and they get really proud when they have something new to report.
Sometimes the added pressure of another person is all you need to really get the fire lit underneath you. It’s like having an assignment due. You wouldn’t write that blogpost for yourself, but when it’s for someone else? You’re probably going to do it.
So how do we feel? What kind of goals do you have? Talk to me. What kind of motivation tactics do you use?
Lazy Girl Fitness 