Never Give Up; Never Surrender - Finding and Hanging on to Motivation

Motivation is such a fickle thing. It’s slippery and elusive. It requires effort to catch it. And once you do, you have to dig your fingers in so damn deep that sometimes it hurts.

I am the self-proclaimed queen of the land of Procrastination. I’ve seem to always have a “eh, lets wait till tomorrow,” or “tomorrow is going to be the better time to do that.” I did that all throughout my educational career. But then again, I wrote some of the best papers the night before. I mean, I did crank out an epic 15 page paper on The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane that got a B+. What can I say, when it comes to writing, I work better under pressure. Which could be the reason why I love National Novel Writing Month in November and April. My motivation is to prove I can essentially write a novel in 30 days.

But can I do this whole under pressure thing with other aspects of my life? Because being under pressure helps focus my thoughts and say “let’s do this shit.” I suppose I could say that it has worked and helped me be motivated to try to be a healthier me.

Before we go into what keeps me motivated, let me give you my definition of “healthier.” It’s not to be skinny. I don’t think I could ever by truly skinny with my body frame. I’m short with a long torso and short legs and I am very boobalicious. So for me to be rail thin skinny, it’s not going to work for me. Like I mentioned in my last post where I celebrated losing 20 pounds, I want to be strong. I want to be fit. I don’t want to look like a walking death stick with boobs. No. I want to have health strong fit curves. Because all the best pin ups are voluptuous. That’s what I’m going for.

See? Right there. Motivation. I am motivated by my own wish to just be better. There’s Level one complete! Once you discover your reason why and know that you are doing this whole life update and upgrade for the you and no one else, you beat the boss and move on to level two!

What is level two? Well, level two is holding on to your motivation. You don’t want it to dissipate right off the back. How do I keep my motivation? Well, there’s a couple things I do.

I wear my stinky workout clothes
                I like to hang with Ben and Jerry (my treadmill and elliptical) or other workout related stuff in the evening. So, when I get home, after I do the whole family dinner thing, I put on my work out clothes that are a little stinky. In my mind, I think, well, I already stink, might as well be a little smellier and then shower afterwards.

I crank my favorite jams
                If you are a music lover like myself, then pick your favorite album that has an awesome beat and blast it. For me, when I’m on the treadmill, it’s Icon For Hire’s new album You Can’t Kill Us. Great driving bass and drums along with inspirational and powerful lyrics help my pound out my 30 minute run. When I’m at home doing my MadFit HIIT and Ab work out, it’s the Rock Workout playlist offered by Apple Music. Whatever fuels you to go forward and never look back…put it on and go.

Run like your life depends on it
                Running/jogging is a good way to ease into exercising. So…why not pretend you’re running from a horde of zombies? Latch on to the Doctor’s hand while you flee from the Daleks…or Cybermen…or whatever baddie of the week. Or perhaps you before a chase with the Terminator? The last part of the run is always the hardest for me, so I place my imagination in the driver seat. Whatever it takes to get you through your workout. Your body might be doing all the physical stuff, but your mind is there working in tandem with you. When the body is begging to tap out and you are almost across the finish line, as long as you aren’t broken and bleeding, have your mind push you farther. You CAN do it. Because if you CAN’T…the zombies will eat your brain…

Surround yourself with POSITIVITY
                I’m not going to sit here at this keyboard and saying that changing your life is going to be easy. In fact, it’s not. It’s hard as hell. There are going to be people who are going knock you and spit in your eye. There are going to be people give you a side eye stare and try to Jedi Mind Trick you into failure. Find folks that will encourage you and push you forward. I have been so lucky with the people I have found in my life who are amazing. And if you can’t find a real live person? There are great forums and websites that can help you propel forward to upgrade your life. I highly recommend Nerd Fitness. They are so very positive and talk on a level that is relatable. Because I mean, who doesn’t love a World of Warcraft reference? Even if you are already in the midst of lovefest, totally check their site. My favorite article is Real-Life Role Playing: What is Your Profession? (click the Hyperlink. You won’t regret it.)

But out of ALL of these and MORE advice on how to stay motivated in your epic quest to be a more kick-ass you, the most important is this:

DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP AND LOVE YOURSELF
                Now, I know this is hard to believe…but…you’re going to fuck up along the way. You’re going to stumble and you’re going to fall down and scrape your knee up. You might even get some busted knuckles along the way. BUT IT IS OKAY. If you want to hang tight to your motivation, you need to get back up. You need to show the world, the nay-sayers, and most importantly YOURSELF, that you are worth the fight for a better life. I fall down all the time. I have those moments where I let old habits in. But, I recognize it. I learn from it. And I become a better persona. Again, getting healthy is not about getting skinny. It’s about GETTING HEALTHY.  Before doing all this weight loss jazz, I loved myself. I loved all my flaws. Hell, I still do. I love the personal growth and inspiration that comes with change. And that is motivating.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my words. I hope, is some way, they not only gave you a glimpse inside what makes me stay motivated, but also helps you find your own path to motivation. It doesn’t have to be just on getting healthy. It could be anything. Just like Big Barda told Wonder Woman when she was captured by Granny Goodness and the Furies: NEVER GIVE UP! NEVER SURRENDER!

Remember to always be yourself…unless you can be a pirate…then always be the pirate!

Until next time…