"...I...DON'T...WANT...TO...DO...THIS...I...DON'T...WANT...TO...DO...THIS..."
Yeah, that was me this evening at 6:38 pm after strapping on my running shoes and getting my behind out the door to go for a run. I walked my 5 minute warm up very very slow, and I'm pretty sure I muttered a curse word or two as I passed the driveway that I always start jogging at. "I...don't...want...to...do...this...I...don't...want...to...do...this..." was my mantra to the beat of my feet pounding the pavement.
No. I didn't want to do this. It was my long night, my 5 mile night, and dang it if everything in my pre-TOM body was screaming at me to "stop!" and "you can miss ONE training session, come on what's the big deal?" and "what, are you a fanatic, you can't be lax for just one night? You've earned it!"...
After about 30 seconds of this self-talk, I tried really hard to just concentrate on the music coming out of my IPOD. I knew if I kept up that kind of thinking I would actually succumb to it and give up before I had even gone a mile.
Which proved to me once again that you just go. You just choose to do it. Whether the emotions are there or not. If they aren't, who cares? They'll come, in time. And sure enough, round about mile 3, when I turned around to start back again, I was pleased with myself. I was glad I was out there. I was enjoying the scenery, and the beautiful mountains. My emotions caught up with my actions. That's why "Motivation" is so tricky sometimes. Because motivation, same root as emotion, is finicky. It is fleeting. It is there one day and not the next, and for some reason we FEEL like we have to BE MOTIVATED in order to do something or stick with something. Well, I'm here to tell you that is a myth. It is a myth made up by people who want to sell you books and exercise equipment and gym memberships. You don't NEED motivation. You can get by without it if you have a will. You don't NEED to FEEL like doing it. Or feel GOOD doing it. Or be HAPPY all the time that you are doing it. Just do it. Your emotions will catch up with your actions.
Ok, 'nuff said. I made oatmeal bread tonight with a tsp of cocoa powder (unsweetened) and a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. It is to die for. It's like mexican hot chocolate bread. Mmmmm.
No. I didn't want to do this. It was my long night, my 5 mile night, and dang it if everything in my pre-TOM body was screaming at me to "stop!" and "you can miss ONE training session, come on what's the big deal?" and "what, are you a fanatic, you can't be lax for just one night? You've earned it!"...
After about 30 seconds of this self-talk, I tried really hard to just concentrate on the music coming out of my IPOD. I knew if I kept up that kind of thinking I would actually succumb to it and give up before I had even gone a mile.
Which proved to me once again that you just go. You just choose to do it. Whether the emotions are there or not. If they aren't, who cares? They'll come, in time. And sure enough, round about mile 3, when I turned around to start back again, I was pleased with myself. I was glad I was out there. I was enjoying the scenery, and the beautiful mountains. My emotions caught up with my actions. That's why "Motivation" is so tricky sometimes. Because motivation, same root as emotion, is finicky. It is fleeting. It is there one day and not the next, and for some reason we FEEL like we have to BE MOTIVATED in order to do something or stick with something. Well, I'm here to tell you that is a myth. It is a myth made up by people who want to sell you books and exercise equipment and gym memberships. You don't NEED motivation. You can get by without it if you have a will. You don't NEED to FEEL like doing it. Or feel GOOD doing it. Or be HAPPY all the time that you are doing it. Just do it. Your emotions will catch up with your actions.
Ok, 'nuff said. I made oatmeal bread tonight with a tsp of cocoa powder (unsweetened) and a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne. It is to die for. It's like mexican hot chocolate bread. Mmmmm.
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