My life completely changed when I woke up one morning and literally collapsed on the floor. The pain in my back was pure agony. It was one of those, AM I DYING??? situations. Thankfully, I have one of those amazing nurse friends (you know, the brilliant kind with all the initials after their name), and I called her from the floor to see if she had any idea what was happening to me. She shared that I probably pulled something in my back, and that I would, thankfully, be okay.
For the majority of my life I have been an incredibly motivated person. With the exception of a few, short lived jobs, I have always worked for myself and found it easy to work hard and stay motivated. After this incident, I knew that it was going to take more than just a simple refocus to get back on track and find my motivation again. I also knew that this was the result of overworking and not taking care of my body. I had a long road ahead of me, and I was going to need a plan and support to regain my strength, confidence, and fitness! Here are the 7 steps I followed that got me from 0 to 100 on the motivation scale and completely changing my life for the better:
1 Set a Goal
It’s important to set a specific, long term goal to know what you want to accomplish. Before being motivated, you have to decide what you’re motivated to do!
For me, after my injury, I knew that I wanted to be a runner. In my mind, I picture myself as a beautiful gazelle leaping through the forest. But, in reality I was a plow horse trudging through the fields! My specific goal was to be able to run a 5K again.
2. Find Your Why
Once you know what you’re doing, it’s crucial that you know why you’re chasing this goal. Without a “why”, it’s just an empty promise. My motivation to become a runner again was rooted in wanting to be someone who is strong. I wanted to be someone who could exercise properly again and never fall back into the rut of putting work above everything else. I also wanted to look more like a gazelle, but that’s just me!
3. Research
Whether it only takes five minutes and a Google search, be sure to research your goal. For me, I needed to research local 5k’s and decide on which one I wanted to participate in. For you, you may need to look at different races, research specific types of gear, or even a diet and workout plan. Whatever the research may be, you will be more motivated and committed if you fully understand what you are getting yourself into!
4. COMMIT!
After you have gained all of your knowledge through research, commit! Go all in! Go ahead and sign up for the race. Go ahead and order the gear. Do what you need to do to let your mind know that you are 100% motivated and committed to achieving this long term goal.
5. Find a Buddy
Thankfully, I had some friends who were in the same boat as me–overdedicated to work and feeling like a change needed to be made. So, I simply called up my two friends, and we decided to hold each other accountable! Each week, we would have a phone call meeting and share how our goals went.
Whether you have a friend who is after the same goal or you find a personal trainer, it is absolutely crucial that you have someone to share this journey with! It will make all the difference! I’m even here if you need me! Feel free to visit the Fit is Freedom website where I can personally work with you and help you meet your goals!
6. Make a Schedule
Lastly, set a schedule that you can stick to. When you have a schedule written down on paper (or on a device), it takes the guessing out of what you will do that day. Make sure to incorporate proper rest days in a realistic schedule that you can follow, and you will be well on your way to keeping the motivation and reaching your goal!
7. Do the Work
After all of the organization and planning, you simply have to do the work. Put all of the steps above and slowly work toward your goal. Putting all of these puzzle pieces together make the perfect picture of motivation and determination!
Thanks to these steps, I was able to pull myself out of bed after just four days, and I haven’t looked back since! If you’re interested in hearing more about the topic of motivation, be sure to listen to the Fit is Freedom Podcast, episode 5!