Finding Motivation

How To Find Motivation

I hate to exercise. I really do. I feel good afterward, and I’m definitely getting in better shape because of it, but I hate it. It’s a real challenge for me. Anyway what do my exercise habits have to do with finding motivation? Hang on for a few moments and it will all make sense. It may even be enlightening.

My latest physical check-up highlighted a few health challenges and lots of room for improvement. I′m planning an active holiday and the check-up showed that I would not be capable of enjoying the holiday and taking part in the activities unless there were some big changes in my health. That was a strong motivation to get back in shape, right? Sure it is, but that didn’t make it easy.

I’d get on the treadmill bound and determined to walk for 30 minutes, and I’d find myself getting bored out of my mind and irritated with the soreness in my muscles 15 minutes into it. Half the time I would just give up, and the other half was so aggravating that I vowed never to do it again. Of course, my motivation was strong, and so I’d try again the next day.

On a recent flight I saw a very moving movie and was talking about this with a friend who told me he hadn’t seen the movie because he was so buzy but he had listened/read the book that the movie was based on. He had been given the book in an audio format which he then put on his iPod. Interesting I thought but I’m a busy person too, but I didn’t believe that I would have the time to listen to audio books.

Aha! I had 30 minutes a day of mind-numbing boredom to fill, so I started listening to my iPod while walking on the treadmill. I love the audio books, and I get so wrapped up in listening to them while walking that I stop staring at the timer wishing it would move faster. In fact, now I often find myself not wanting to get off the treadmill because I’m in the middle of a good part! By coupling something I love to do with something I loathe, it made the task much easier to deal with. I’m very happy with the results in my energy level, as well as being able to listen to books I enjoy so much.

Let’s face it: success is rarely made up of only tasks that we love to do. There are always some real chores that are absolutely necessary. Why not apply the above lesson to your daily tasks as well?

If you′re working on something that you really don’t like to do, break it up so you don’t have to do it all at once. Put something in between that you love to do as a reward for your doing the dreaded task. That way you′ll have something to look forward to. You′ll have the needed motivation.

I make it a point to do those less pleasant tasks first, knowing that when it’s done I can reward myself with those things that I love to do. That gives me the needed incentive.

You probably do this kind of thing all the time in your daily life. It’s just a matter of applying that same “reward yourself” principle.

Get the tasks you consider chores out of the way first, that way you can concentrate on those things that you love to do. If the dreaded tasks are very time consuming, then break them up into chunks. Like eating an elephant you eat it one mouthful at a time.

Failure to get through the drudgery and then reward yourself with the “fun stuff” can result in deadlock. If you do the fun stuff first, then the mere thought of tackling the other tasks is loathsome and you’ll find every excuse possible to put it off until later. Take it a little bit at a time, followed by an enjoyable activity, and you’ll be amazed at what you’ve accomplished at the end of the day.

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