Find Your Motivation

I’ve always been lazy by nature, and fall into the ‘all or nothing’ category of almost anything I attempt. This unfortunate propensity applies to my general physical fitness and wellbeing.

In summary, I occasionally become alarmed by some aspect of my physical appearance (my jeans are too tight, or my girlfriend just lost loads of weight and looks amazing) and launch into an unsustainable fitness and nutrition regime with predictable results……..

Short term success, followed by ‘aaagh, I can relax a bit now’ followed by a cold due to all the physical stress I subjected my body to, followed by…you guessed it… weight gain and a return to general laziness and apathy.

Left to my own devices this cycle will undoubtedly continue forever.

Mr TriMonkey is not like this at all. He has a superpower. It’s called consistency. I am quite jealous of it. He is also not greedy, and can do weird things like buy a family block of chocolate and have it last a week. Freak.

I will scoff that thing down in one sitting and continue to eat even after I feel sick.

Mr TriMonkey sets himself a goal, and just like that, he sets to work. His coach writes him a program, and away he goes. Every day. Exactly to the program. Freak.

If you happen to be living with one of these wonderful and rare creatures, I strongly suggest you get in on that action. I find it helpful to let Mr TriMonkey know the night before that I want to get up and train. My gorgeous monkey brings me a coffee to wake me, and then I feel too guilty not to get up after he’s gone to all that trouble, so I get up too.

He’s always punctual. This means that he can’t abide being late, or more accurately me making him late. I have to get myself up and out that door or he’ll leave without me. The key for me is in the telling. Saying how many times you want to train, and being accountable is helpful.

So that’s great I hear you say. What if I don’t have a consistent housemate or partner?

Well I bet you have a consistent friend. We all know them. Those ones that have been training year in, year out. The ones who hardly bother to mention it, because it is part of their routine and has been for years. They are the ones you tap into.

• Ask them to call you when they get up to make sure you’ve getting your game face on.
• Arrange to text them when you finish your workout.
• If you forget, you have to buy them a coffee.

You get the idea.

I know others who use fundraising for charity to motivate them. The key is to have a specific stretch target for yourself, and tell everyone that you are doing it.

• Write to the charity, and let them know that you have also committed to raising xyz dollars.
• Find a charity that actually means something to you.
• If you love animals, maybe you commit to buying 10 dog beds for the local shelter with your charity earnings.
• If you have been touched by cancer, like a dear friend of ours then maybe this is the charity for you.

It’s much harder to pike out if you think about the doggies going cold, or critical research being delayed due to a lack of funds. Sit down and really imagine what it will feel like to hand those funds over to the charity.

Imagine how it will feel to take 10 minutes off your time, or slip into those jeans easily instead of a humiliating struggle involving a shoe horn and Vaseline. I do know one thing for sure. It has to be something that really matters to you, or it won’t work.

In summary:

1. Set a specific stretch target. This must be achievable.
2. Tell people what you are doing.
3. Make yourself accountable. What is the cost of not meeting your goal?
4. Write down how it will feel when you achieve the goal. Refer to it all the time.

I’d love to hear what your motivation is, especially if you are lazy like me.

Happy training monkeys!

Mrs TriMonkey