The literacy rate of the United States is one of the highest rates in the world. Does it mean that as a country we use our reading skills to actually read a book? Unfortunately, that is not the case. Someone who knows how to read but does not read is just the same as someone who cannot read at all. What does that have to do with exercising? If we know how to exercise but do not actually exercise, then, well, it is the same scenario as not knowing how or not wanting to read. We have to actually exercise. In order to consistently exercise, we must be motivated. Motivation is the inner game going on inside our heads on whether or not we exercise.
How do we stay motivated to exercise? We have to focus on the “why do we need to exercise” and not just the “what to do”. To stay motivated to exercise we need to focus on the benefits of exercise and not just the exercise itself. What are the benefits of exercise? It is effective if you put it in writing. Write it down that you currently weigh a healthy and muscular 170 pounds (if you are a male) or a healthy and curvaceous 115 pounds (if you are a female). You can place pictures of healthy people so that you can see it. Visualization is a powerful tool to stay motivated. When you see it in your mind, you will see it happening. You should develop your “why” (or your goal) to exercise. Build your “why” big enough to overcome any obstacles. By the way, obstacles are what you see when you take your eyes off your goals. Keep your eye on the ball. Keep your eye on your goal.
When the inner game of motivation is won, then it is a matter of time before you achieve your goal of a healthy body and mind by being disciplined in your exercise and diet program. Some people would use negative motivation such as visualizing themselves as being fat and unhealthy if they do not exercise. But, it is more effective to visualize a healthy you. This is positive reinforcement and positive motivation. We should focus on what we want – not on what we do not want. Take it one day at time. Make your goals manageable. Inch by inch, it is a cinch. Yard by yard, it becomes difficult and hard. If your goal is to lose 20 pounds, then losing a half a pound a day sounds reasonable. You may gain one day but keep going forward to lose that weight. One step backward, but take two steps forward.
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