Find Your Motivation

Choose a goal that excites you

What motivates one person may not necessarily work for someone else. To find out what kind of secondary goal might drive you, ask yourself: What do I enjoy doing? What am I passionate about?

Whatever goal you decide upon, make sure it is something you like. Be honest with yourself. If something doesn’t inspire you, it’s not worth pretending it does.

Create conditions for success

When you want to change your habits, you must take into account four components of your life: your thoughts and emotions, your physical environment, your physical actions, and your network of support.

Whatever your goal is, find ways to integrate it with all areas of your life. In doing so, you’ll find it more difficult to return to your non-exercising ways.

Find something that works for you

Everyone is busy. Take a look at your life and find something that works for you. Perhaps a workout right after work is best for you. Or maybe a short walk in the morning before the kids are awake is what gets you active.

Understand also that exercise will make you more effective in other areas of your life. Taking time out of work to go for a walk or take an aerobics, spinning, or yoga class might be just what you need to get your mind on track so you can meet that crushing deadline.

Be easy on yourself

Other common mistakes people make when starting an exercise program are going too fast too soon or being self-critical about slip-ups. Your goal is to become a regular exerciser, not to become the perfect exerciser.

Quick tips to get yourself exercising:

Make a date
Enlist a friend as an exercise buddy. It’ll be harder to skip a workout if you know someone else is counting on you to show up.

Put down a bit of money
It’s amazing how motivated you can become when your money is involved. If you are paying for something, you’re going to want to get your money’s worth.

Write it in your calendar
This helps you stay organized so that you can plan the rest of your life around your workouts and not the other way around.

Set up small incentives
Decide on a small reward for yourself if you fit in all your planned workouts for a specific period of time—say a week or a month. Your reward might be something like new exercise socks, a pedicure, or a self-indulgent hour at the spa.

Set aside your exercise gear
Laying out your gear ahead of time will help you save time and eliminate yet one more excuse not to exercise.

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