How to Motivate Yourself to Do “Something”

by guest author Alesha Wilson

How many times have you promised yourself that you will do something but ended up postponing it and doing something less productive? How many times have you promised to go to the gym to lose some weight but have backed out of the plan when the day arrived? Having cold feet is normal, but sometimes you have to brave the waters and do what has to be done–in this case, exercising to avoid being obese is a priority.

The statistics are overwhelming.

Take a look around you and you will see that many people are turning obese. But you do not have to be one of them. As long as you set your mind to that necessary change, you can save yourself. So how do you motivate yourself to change your ways? Apart from exercising, you can also use the steps listed below in other tasks that you might be having problems doing.

1. Find a partner. It’s easy to be discouraged when you are going to the gym alone. Instead of being intimidated by the stares given to you by other people at the gym, ask your best friend to go with you. It will be just like your bonding sessions, except this time you are not dining out but burning unwanted fats. Anyone will do–your sister, your officemate, your neighbor–as long as you have a good relationship with that person. It’s even better if you make new friends at the gym so that you will look forward to seeing them every time you visit.
2. Set a goal each week. You don’t have to lose all those unnecessary pounds in a few days. Go for a slow, but sure process. Set your mind to target at least five pounds a week. If you see that you are losing bigger than this, you can set your target a little higher. This way, you won’t be pressured to lose an unachievable number.
3. Give yourself a reward. Make yourself work for something. What’s the use of following your exercise routine religiously if you don’t have something to look forward to, right? Tell yourself that you will buy that dress in size 0 when you achieve that weight. Thinking about the reward you will get after losing weight will surely make you want to work even harder.
4. Keep tabs of your progress. If you are already losing weight, you need to know when to stop. By listing down the number of pounds you lost in one week, you will have an idea of when you can graduate from the gym. After that, your next move is to make sure that you still have enough exercise to avoid all the fat from returning.
5. Prepare nutritious foods that taste great. To make sure that fats are lost, you should avoid eating meals that are rich in them. But you also do not have to punish yourself by eating foods that do not taste great at all. Rather, find easy to follow recipes of great-tasting meals with reduced calories. These are all over the internet these days, and they do taste great!

After reading the tips listed above, you hopefully are more motivated in getting “something” done. Just make sure that you enjoy the process and the outcome will be worth it.

About The Author: Alesha Wilson writes for various online publications including RockwellNutrition.com – leading online supplier of Whey Cool.