Mustering the Motivation

Oy vey. I struggle with motivation. I really do.

My goal is to run (well, jog pretty slowly) four times a week for about 35 minutes. I need to do this because a) it helps keep my weight in check b) my dog needs to release his energy and c) exercise is good for the soul (and hormone levels and general health and wellness).

On the other three days, my goal is to do 15 minutes of yoga.

It’s an ambitious–yet entirely feasible–goal. I run on Saturday and Sunday mornings (which I actually love) and then on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. It’s the weekdays that are the hardest for me. I have a gagillion excuses. It’s too cold. It’s too wet. I have a headache. I’m tired. I’m hungry. I have too much work to do. [insert a plethora of other excuses…]

I’ve tried giving myself stickers every time I run, but that incentive doesn’t work. When it comes down to it, I simply have to establish a routine and stick to it. It also helps if I do it first thing when I get home. No snack. No e-mail. Just exercise. And then relax.

As we inch closer and closer to vacation, my motivation is slipping even more. I really couldn’t bring myself to run yesterday. And then, by some miracle, I just did it. I looked at my sad dog’s eyes. I got changed and went out. (For the record, I chanted, “I hate this. I hate this.” for the first 1/8-mile of my run, but I did it.)

Phew!