MOTIVATION…the one thing that can make or break your journey to a healthier life. All other issues are just an annoying itch to compared to this bad boy. Every person who starts on the path to being more healthy always has good intentions and idea in their mind to do it, but motivation is the key to actually DOING it…your personal willpower to keep going in face of any obstacles that arise. I have for many years looked at different motivation factors, advice, and tips for various aspects of my life…not just living healthier…but cleaning my home, being a better mom and wife, combating depression in different stages, completely personal projects, and so forth.
It dawned on me one day that in order for me to be motivated in ALL aspects of my life, I need to be motivated and stick with a healthier life. My thought was if I feel better about myself…mind, body, and soul…then I will be more motivated to keep up with and improve upon other areas of my life. Yes, it’s true…the quality of your life begins and ends with YOU.
I am going to discuss several motivators that have worked for me over the years and that I still bring out of the closet use from time to time. I tend to get bored with the same method continuously, so having a few other ideas stockpiled for use helps.
The first one I will start with is one that has worked not only for me, but also for my husband (I like to think so anyways). I originally called the “Healthy Lifestyle Wall” because my intentions was to just use a wall space we often go by in a high traffic area of my house. I added a dresser to store health stuff in so it became “Healthy Lifestyle Center”. This Center has multiple parts to it, so I think I’ll just make a list (by the way…I’m “list” person).
Healthy Lifestyle Center:
- Dresser: I use this to put health stuff into like vitamin bottles, magazines, first aid, and even workout clothes. I also have writing utensils, small notepads, push-pins, etc in a drawer. On the top I keep a tray to put drop off stuff for the gym like membership passes, mp3 players, etc. You could use any piece of furniture really…bookshelf, tv stand, etc. You could also use it to lay out your healthy snacks, protein mixes, etc for the day or week.
- Cork boards: I have 2 small square ones for tacking up notes for reminders of stuff like appointments, recipes, menus, etc. Even tack up motivational quotes, pictures, etc.
- Wipe-off boards: I WANT 2 small ones for my Center. One for daily use…daily goals, food reminders, etc. Second one to layout the week’s goals.
- Clipboards or picture frames: These I will have at least 2…one to layout goals to meet during a year’s time and another with goals by the month.
- Calender: Must to keep track of appointments and events like 5k’s, mud runs, etc that you have signed up for.
- Visual aid: These can be anything like pictures of clothes you want, a shadow box of something to reward yourself with, doctor reports, photos of yourself, etc. I have to word collage visual aids up…one is called “YES” and has words of healthy foods to eat and the other is the opposite “NO”.
I mentioned visual aids for my Center, but you could use these at any time and any place…even your cell phone or in your car. They can be any thing you want…just something that keeps you going. One I want to try is taking 2 glass jars of any kind; label one with “Pounds to Lose” and the other “Pounds Lost”. You put in those little glass stones in the first jar. You could use any color and size. Possibly designate a color or size per poundage like a large stone could equal 10 pounds and small stones 1 pound each; or blue stones for 10 pounds, red stones for 5 pounds, and clear stones for 1 pound.
I have a couple visual aids that work well for me that I recently started using in last couple weeks. I have on my desktop computer monitor screen a slide show background of clothes I like. I selected them from a photo file I have on my computer called “Virtual Closet”. Clothes, I have discovered, is one the main motivators for me. I want to be able to purchase clothes without worry about how it will fit across my bulging stomach. My other visual aide is very similar but I do it in the gym! I take a magazine along or use one from the gym. I open the magazine to a picture or article that is motivational to me at that time and place on the display screen of whatever machine I’m using…treadmill, bike, and so for. This method has a double punch! It not only gives me a visual aide, but by hiding the display I am not distracted by the time and numbers that tick away on the screen. I don’t start getting bored because I see how much time I have left or get discouraged because the screen tells me I only burned 80 calories.
Photographs of yourself as a motivator. This is one that works well for many people and one I hope to utilize once I have a better camera (my current one makes pictures slightly blurry due to being an underwater camera). My method with self photos and one I used with my hubby (he loves this method) is to take 3 separate photos…front, back, and side (or both sides if you want). It’s best to have somebody take the photos for you and to wear minimal clothing to see as much of your natural body as possible. The next step is to retake the photos every 30 days. This is a great method (and the reason why my husband loves it) is that you can compare the different sets of photos in chronological order to see the progress you have made! You will also be able to easier which parts of your body you might want to increase focus on.
Diaries and journals are another motivator for many people. I often put this one off because I could never find a method I liked or just plain for get about it. I recently decided to try again. My current journal is very basic…weight, waist measurement, food, and workout. That’s it! I don’t include calorie counting or nothing like that. I might include my sleep schedule or put the times I ate or worked out. If you choose to keep a healthy diary, just experiment with what works for you…information to include, on paper, on the computer, blogging about it, Facebook page/group, etc.
Support groups are another good motivator. You can form your own with friends or find one on the internet or check your local gym. These are great, especially if you don’t have a support system at home or with friends. You can find a group on the internet or social media and post about what health things you did or didn’t do, issues you’re having, etc. Even if nobody responds, you can still post because it might feel like your being held accountable for your actions.
Let’s not forget the most important motivators that are around you daily…your family, children, friends, pets, and even co-workers. YOURSELF and your health…period. If it helps, have these people in your life…you, too…write down positive things about you and keep in a diary or tack up some place to view or put in a jar to randomly choose when feeling unmotivated.
There are SO many motivation tips and advice out there I can never touch upon them…and for motivator the various aspects of your life, too…not just a healthier lifestyle. I know some other motivation techniques are music, books, and meditation. My only advice when it comes to finding ways to keep your willpower going is to do research with some trial and error until you find a couple that work.
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