Getting Motivated
#1. Stop trying and just do it.
I really like the song “One More” by Superchic. If you can overcome step one, you can face the 99.
A thousand mile journey starts with that first mile. And that first mile starts with a single step. Just one.
Don’t concentrate on an end goal, or you might get dissuaded by lack of progress. In a journey of a thousand miles, it can be daunting to think that there’s another 999 to go after getting that first mile down… so, instead, think of how far you’ve come. And when you get another mile, realize that you’ve just doubled the distance traveled.
#2. Concentrate on the Next Step.
When I started weight lifting in November of 2013, I had no idea what I was doing. I just jumped into it, asked for some advice, and did my best.
Probably the biggest single thing that I did was to make it to the gym regularly. Even when I felt like crap, when I didn’t want to work or was feeling sick, or whatever, I just went. Just getting in the door was a big challenge. Once I was there, I would think, “well, I’m already here, might as well do something.” And then I did a full workout. In fact, there were many days that started out with not wanting to do anything, and ended up being some of my best days.
#3. Track Your Progress.
On that first day, I moved 9,525 lbs. Today, I moved 91,170.
That’s a 10X gain. And it was all with little additions.
One of the things that motivates me to work out just a little harder each time is Nerd Fitness. It’s an awesome website. No pushing merchandise, or pills, or services on you, just simple no-nonsense advice from real people. One of my favorite articles is “How to Set a New Personal Record Every Day.”