10 Steps to taking Control of your Life, a.k.a. Motivation

We all get the bug of uninspired, unmotivated, and just plain lifeless. You get that feeling that every step you take is weighed down with the world and you have no idea how to get the chain of your ankle. The winter months tend to make people a bit more of a homebody as the cold sets in. Holidays crop up, the thought of family, hot cocoa, feasts, and watching movies as the sun sets before 7 p.m. every day.

You are doing one thing right, you’ve taken the RIGHT step in the RIGHT direction for getting a little umph back into your life by reading this. You have motivated yourself enough, to click the link to find out HOW you can do it. Now, the following steps aren’t strict and are left a bit to your imagination and not completely in order except the first one and the last one.

This will be fitness related, since, I am such a fitness gal. My biggest problem is getting the strength to exercise…SHOCKING! Right? It happens to best of us, even the ones that pride themselves in their figure.

First, set a goal. Any goal, it could be as simple as setting your alarm back five minutes so you have those five extra minutes to yourself in the morning. Or it could be, packing your gym clothes the night before. One small goal, is the second step into the right path of motivated.

My small goal: To run a 5k race once a month.

Second, research a little. Find out what you can do, when you can do it, how it will help you, where it will get you.

My research: Races in the area, what I should train for, how I should train for them. End result – running 2-3 times a week of 3 miles or more will improve my 2 mile time for my Army Physical Fitness Test. I can max out my run by January. January is when the NCO of the Year verbal board is.

Third, get yourself AMPED. Think of something that used to get your adrenaline pumping. That just made you want to yell and grin, so it made you look like this little devil. Get that excitement and push yourself forward.

 My AMPED: I always think back to when I played rugby, the rush I would get when I would pick the ball on the weak side of the scrum, pass to my wing, take the lateral and rush up the field. Dodge, juke, stiff arm players as I flew by them. I would lengthen my stride just a bit more, so I could get that extra push forward to take a glance back behind me to see who I left in my dust. That grin I would get, knowing they couldn’t catch me.

Fourth, do less. There are times that you will plan too much. Simply, you have put too much food on your plate and now you have the nearly impossible task of eating it. Remember the days, when you were a kid, and you wanted to eat just as much as your parents? Yet, your eyes were simply just too big for your stomach. Take your goals into account and do what is reasonable. Don’t tell yourself that you will be an Olympic ice skater if you’ve never even set foot in an ice rink. Make things doable for yourself.

My do less: Take one day at a time. I try not to plan too far ahead because I don’t want to give myself unreasonable expectations.

Fifth, talk about your project. Tell people what you are doing, how you are going to do it, and what you want to get out of it. The more you talk about it, the more you hold yourself accountable to your actions.

My talk about project: I tell everyone and their mother, I ask for advice, stories, and concerns. I make sure what I’m doing is the right way.

Sixth, accept failure. Know that you aren’t always going to meet your goal on time, and that some days won’t always be the best. Accept it, and move forward. Just because one day doesn’t work out for you doesn’t mean you can’t change your attitude tomorrow.

My failure: I get injured, I get off track, and my nutrition sometimes sucks. That’s okay; Currently, I have a shoulder injury. Ice, compression, and rest. Tomorrow will be a better day.

Seventh, enlist help. Believe it or not, there is someone out there who knows more than you and who can help you. There are also people out there who may have the same goals as you and want to do it with you.

My help: My boss runs ultras. Trail runs of anywhere from 30 to 100 miles. I’m trying to improve my 5k run time so that every 5k I do each month, I do better. He helps me run once a week. I have friends who run a 5k with me as support.

Eight, fix your attitude. Your attitude determines your experience. If you are feeling down, you’re going to do things “down”. If you go in with a positive outlook, then you will succeed.

My attitude: I know I’m not the best, but I will do the best for myself.

Ninth, define your awards. What will happen if you complete your goals? Will you get ice cream as a treat? Are you looking for better overall body composition? Are you trying to meet something for a sport?

My award: Doing a 5k a month, keeps my cardio on track so I may max out my 2 mile run for the Army. If I max out my run, I max out my PT test making me a top contender for the NCO of the Year award.

Tenth, do it. Guess what, I’ve run three races since September.  September I did the Fall Celebration 5k in Eugene, Ore.  I ran it in 27:08.  In October, I ran the Zombie Apocalypse trail 5k, I ran it in a terrible time that I just so happen to forget.  November, I ran in a 3.6 mile 17 obstacle course run in 46:03. Pretty sure, this Thanksgiving, I will be running in the turkey trot.

GET OFF YOUR BUTT AND DO STEP ONE.