“How do you stay motivated?” I get this question a lot from people on social media & in person. There are so many people out there with motivated intentions, but they just cannot seem to execute and always find themselves back at square one.
You want the truth? I do not stay motivated. Yup, I said it. Some days I want to say “F&#^ this workout” and just be lazy instead.
I have been working out consistently 3-6x per week for roughly 7 years and no, I am not motivated every single day. The only way to stay consistent is not through motivation, but through self-discipline. Self-discipline, in my opinion, is the most under used “muscle” in the entire body. Expecting to be motivated all of the time, every single day is unrealistic and will undoubtedly lead to failure. Self-discipline is your backbone & that extra push when you think and feel like you just cannot pull it together – you can!
Today I want to share with you my personal tools that I use to stay focused, self-disciplined, fit & strong:
1. I always, always, always set goals
There is never a time that I do not have goals. Honestly, ask me at any given time “Lunden, what are your health & fitness goals?” and I will give you 2-3 I am working on at the moment. I am always setting new goals daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. There always has to be something I am striving for. Set a goal, reach it, on to the next one. Some of my goals have included drinking more water, increasing my leg press weight, growing a bigger booty (and I called it “Operation Booty”), running a 5k under 30 minutes, getting bigger biceps, going for a slow morning run 2x per week, run a half marathon in less than 2 hours, drink Green Tea 3x a day…
2. I tell people my goals
I am vocal about what I want to accomplish. I most often tell my boyfriend and my mom certain things I want to achieve because saying it out loud makes it real for me.
Me: “I want bigger biceps”
My boyfriend: “As long as they aren’t bigger than mine.”
3. I expect down times
Shit ain’t always rainbows & butterflies…but I am always ready to fight back. I keep my workout clothes with me at all times that way I never have any REAL excuse not to workout.
4. I know how it feels AFTER a good workout
When I don’t want to work out, I focus on the feeling I know I will have after the workout is over. The feeling of finishing a kick ass workout, after not wanting to do it, is incredible. Life isn’t about doing what you want – sorry but not sorry. The same goes for working out – even if you don’t want to do your workout, you’ve got to.
5. The 5 most important words
My dad always told me the 5 most important words are “Surround yourself with good people.” I live this to the fullest everyday. I will never surround myself with people who doubt me, put me down, make me feel less-than or who don’t believe in me. I call these people toxins, and I aim to lead a non-toxic life. Sometimes you’ve got to kick people to the curb and I am totally fine with doing that. This doesn’t mean that I need to have only “fit friends”…but I sure as hell won’t have ANY “Debby Downers” in my inner circle.