How To Keep Your Promises To Yourself
As I lay here exhausted on a Monday night with the whole week ahead of me, I can’t help but think tomorrow I will want nothing more than to stay in bed for an extra hour in the morning! Other than knowing I will be grateful in the long run I got up and completed my workout early, I also laid out a few other motivating factors I know have helped peal me out of my bed at early hours in the morning when it is oh so comfy and difficult to move!
1. Find Fit Friends
When I started this journey I didn’t know anyone that was into physical fitness except my sister and lets just say I felt like she was a million miles ahead of me with her fitness (well maybe that’s an excessive, but she was running so much at the time it overwhelmed me).
I set out on a mission to find a support system because I knew I couldn’t do this by myself. I found amazing support from an online Facebook fitness community. This community taught me things I would have never known about running (okay more like jogging), fitness, stretches I never even knew as a life long dancer, and encouraged me to keep going even on days I felt like staying in bed or skipping that Sunday afternoon workout!
Whether you find support in friends that go to the gym with you, coworkers or an online community, get yourself some friends that are supportive and you can go to when you have a rough day for encouragement. Simple messages of encouragement can go so far to keep your motivation flowing!
2. Use Technology To Your Advantage
Use that technology that is at your fingertips! Your phone, fitness watch, computer or Amazon Fire Stick all have so many features and apps to help you succeed if you use them.
For example, set multiple alarms on your fit watch or phone to encourage you to get out of bed in the morning, so if you don’t get up, you are lying awake in bed thinking about the promise to yourself you aren’t keeping.
There are numerous fitness apps out there, many of which I have tried over time. Each one has their pros and cons, it all depends on what you are looking for in an app, but most recently I have been doing workouts that are included in my Amazon Prime membership through Prime Video streaming them through a Fire Stick. I have found this is great and I can take it with me on the go when I’m on shift and stream them through my phone as well.
Also multi-task and watch your favorite shows while your on the treadmill or elliptical if this motivates you to get out of bed! A new episode of Chicago Fire is always a good motivating factor for me to use the treadmill instead of another type of workout!
As far as fitness tracking apps I have found I have the best success with the traditional FitBit app that syncs to my watch. I’m a very analytical person and like to have all my stats together in one place and I believe this app does a good job of doing this.
3. Make Large and Small Goals
When I started my fitness journey I wanted to be able to finish a 5K this was my large goal. I started working out consistently about 6 months before my 30th birthday and was able to complete a 5K with a split mile time better than a mile I ran in high school, but to get there I set smaller workout goals, including working out consistently at least 5 days a week doing 1.5-2 miles at a time, and getting at least 10,000 steps a day.
This is also where your fit friends can come in handy. I had no idea where to start, and the coach to 5K app was not my friend! They helped me form a plan and even made sure I was sticking to it, and before I knew it at the age of 29 I had completed by first 5K.
4. Use A Rewards System
Find a way to reward yourself! If you are a major Starbucks lover, when you meet each small goal treat yourself to that latte! If you love candy buy that snickers bar once a week!
Every Sunday evening we have a traditional family night. For me my reward for the week was not worrying about what I was eating this day. I treated this day like a cheat day. I still worked out on Sunday, but didn’t stress too much about my nutrition this day.
Overall your motivation can come from many sources, it’s important you feel the desire to want to get fit and stay fit, but having fit friends on your side will help you more than you can imagine! Use that technology to your advantage and make sure to set your goals and reward yourself to keep yourself motivated!
