OK, motivation…
I like to write lists of all the reasons I’m doing something, whatever it is…returning to school, exercising… I tape the lists on the walls and add things as I think of them.
Sometimes an item on the list isn’t a word or phrase, but a picture…Sometimes I take those pictures and put them in my screen saver so that they scroll by periodically.
I reward myself–like last night I got A’s on both my quizzes so this morning I am being lazy (but I am still going running later and still studying for my test today and tomorrow).
I surround myself with people with similar goals and aspirations. That old saying about “birds of a feather” is really true, has been tested over and over again in studies and at this point I take it as fact. If you hang out with people who are doing the things you want to do (studying and exercising, in this case) you will do more of those things, have less time for other things that are not aligned with your goals, and will in turn be more motivated by your successes.
I also list my obstacles barriers, anything in the way. Once you’ve defined what is on your way it’s a start to removing those obstacles.
If you make mistakes, be compassionate with yourself. Don’t beat up on yourself internally by calling yourself names or things like that. Look at what the mistake was. Try to figure out a way for that to not happen anymore. It might take some wholesome discipline and preparing ahead of time, but you can do it. For instance, I noticed that sometimes I let myself get too hungry and then I would eat food higher in fat, so I started keeping fruits around, and also preparing snacks ahead of time. That way I didn’t just get so lazy and light headed that I ended up at the fast food joint.
Weight loss–consult a doctor first. Then think Stretching + Cardio + Weight lifting. The weight lifting is not to bulk you up, but to give you more muscle mass so that you will burn fat more quickly. The cardio should not be so hard that you can’t breathe or talk–a brisk walk will get you into the zone, but you have to walk more time than a light jog for less time to burn the same amount of fat. Make sense? Always stretch and give yourself a hot shower after so that you don’t get so sore. Drinking green tea and taking fish oil caps will also help burn fat, but don’t drink the tea too close to bedtime. There’s also a good book on fitness called the Firefighter’s Workout by Michael Stefano that gives practical tips to setting up a training regimen for yourself and suggested menus. And like I said before–see a doctor first. And consider joining a gym because just the atmosphere can be inspiring to you. Personally, I like the YWCA because there aren’t as many pretentious meat-heads walking around, but more ordinary people who just want to be in better shape.
Give that all some thought and remember that the only lasting change is slow change. Don’t try to do it all at once. You might have to try several different ways of study and exercise before getting the combination that works for you.
We’ll be rooting for you!
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