Motivation

I wanted to post about motivation. Looking at the ww forum today lots of people have posted they have lost their motivation, so wanted to post my thoughts on the topic.

We all know the saying "motivation is fleeting" ... its a emotion .... just like we get happy/sad etc it wont always be there....but it will be there at times. In the beginning we are usually motivated....then it becomes the way it is and as you start to lose weight for a lot of people fears set in. These come in a whole range of things....fear of excess skin.....fear of failing...fear of succeeding....fear of not knowing the person you are becoming....fear of losing your comfort zone. I certainly had my fears. When people first started to call me a "inspiration" it did my head in ..... i knew that by people saying that....if i accepted that and then ended up putting weight on i would look like a fool/failure. I remember talking to Fiona at the time about it and she gave some really good advice.... "put a bubble around you and let what people say good and bad bounce off you". So dont take in other peoples perceptions/thoughts. With everything thats happening with the magazines, the book etc it could really do my head in. I mean if this all happens and then I gain the weight back....i would be "the girl who got in the magazine and look how fat she is now" if i really sat down and gave this lot of thought I could do my head in. But i am "choosing" to take whats happening ONLY as a good thing....and its the same when people place compliments on you that may scare you, when you realise you have some excess skin or when you fear losing your comfort zone....focus ONLY on the good stuff...because the reality is....the bad stuff is in our minds....its not something thats happening right in the moment....its something we are worried about happening. So stay positive....enjoy the journey and dont be hard on yourself....dont look at how far you have to go....but how far you have become!

Sometimes too we become bored....we are eating the same food all the time (I am so guilty of this!)...we get bored with our exercise routine....we get bored with our life. We are building a new life.....so if its that everything is becoming ho-hum....that you have lost 10-11 kilos and you cant notice the loss...do something you wouldnt have done before! This can be a whole range of things....from shopping....booking a nite away or even a nite in your city in a nice hotel....check out fitness events and plan to enter one....if small enough go horse riding....or jump on a trampoline (i am hoping to do this at my sisters at xmas now im smaller!) go buy a new outfit....give yourself a home beauty treatment...there is so many things we can do....but I think if its something we couldnt do before and its something you prove you can do now...you will realise "i can do this". Try some new recipes as well....no wonder our motivation lacks when we eat the same thing day in and day out!

Set goals....every time I set a goal I feel more focussed and motivated. The goal can be short or long term....a certain number on the scale by the end of the month....to do 4 fitness classes thruout the month (if fitness classes are new to you) .... do a new class ..... pick a exercise that you want to do perfectly and use it as a goal for something you are working too (my exercise goal at the moment is to be able to do pushups going low with perfect form...admittedly I have been working on them a long time...but i will get there - i hope lol!) Look at doing something "different" .... my gym has personal training, group personal training, a running group, boot camp at certain times of the year and different challenges thruout the year. I of course have done a lot of personal training ;) they are having a boot camp mid november....so i am going to do that this year. I have never done one....so it will be very challenging for me....but im hopeful it will help keep my focus up until xmas.

I never usually use the word "motivation" a lot....I prefer "focus".... we dont always have to feel good about it....but if we try and keep our focus on the goals day in and day out then we will get there regardless of any emotional feelings. Of course we are not perfect....and the chance you will have 100% focus for the entire time of your journey is not likely....dont expect to be perfect....nor desire to be perfect....your only setting yourself up for heartache. Accept you arent perfect....accept you will stuff up....accept you wont be the best in all exercising you do (we all have our talents and weakness's whether we are a size 10 or not!) but if you do stuff up....or you do fall....just get back on to things as quickly as is feasible!