What Keeps Me Motivated

As the weather improves and the days get warmer and longer, I find my motivation increasing, making it easier to get motivated and out the door to start my workout. However, this is definitely not always the case 😉 there have been many mornings where sleep has sounded just too good, or days when I get home from work and sit down and never get back up.

I thought I’d share what keeps me motivated and kicks me into gear on the days when that couch is just sooo inviting.

Progress!

This is my number one motivator. I find that when I am working out consistently it is easier to continue that trend and harder to skip a workout. I absolutely love sticking to a training schedule and seeing my workouts ramp up each week. Suddenly, the moves or paces that were challenging a few weeks ago have become much easier. This motivates me to continue because it gives me that acknowledgement I need, knowing that all of the work I’m putting in is paying off and I am making progress.

Endorphins 😉

Coming in a close second – endorphins are definitely highly motivating to me. No matter how I feel right before a workout (usually lethargic and lazy), I know without a doubt that I will feel better when I get back. Those endorphins have ALWAYS improved my mood and make me feel proud of what I have accomplished.

Mental clarity and stress reduction

Oftentimes the days when I don’t want to run or workout are the days when I need to the most. The days that I find myself feeling lazy or unmotivated are usually the days where I feel down on myself and don’t see the value in putting my health first. On those days, I know I need to just suck it up and get moving. If I finish a workout and find myself still wanting to indulge and veg out, then I will. However I pretty much always find that when I complete a workout I am much more likely to make healthy choices for the rest of my day.

My training journal and training plan

This is the first year that I’ve kept a training journal and I’ve found it so incredibly motivating! I love looking back on the workouts I’ve done and seeing what has gotten easier or what I’ve forgotten about. It really motivates me to get my workout done because I don’t want to write “rest” in my journal on a day when I originally had a workout scheduled. I’ve always found my training plan to be motivating for the same reason – I keep it on the refrigerator and cross of the workouts when I complete them. If I skip a day and never make it up there is a square that never gets crossed out and it just drives me crazy!

Reading other blogs or social media

When I really can’t find any other motivation it always helps me to read about other people’s workouts or training success. I love hearing what everyone else does because it really puts my lack of motivation in perspective for me. What others do just amazes me, and it always makes me realize that if they can get it all done, then there’s no reason I can’t suck it up and get the job done too.

When all else fails, I take a rest day and don’t feel guilty about it. One day off won’t change anything, as long as it doesn’t spiral into weeks or months. I hope you are experiencing some new summer motivation as the weather improves just like I am!

Happy first weekend on June! 🙂