I often wish I could pour a glass of motivation for others. I find it's quite common for the desire to keep going with healthful lifestyle is a challenge. Especially when the visible reward takes so much time.

In my work as a coach, a lot of times it's my job to keep people "motivated" and it's a tall order to fill. In most cases I fail and here's why. Metaphorically speaking...

If you’d like to walk it, I’ll walk beside you.

If you’d like to run I’ll run beside you.

If you take off faster than me I will ride a bike to keep up with you.

When you ask me to sit the next one out because you got this I will show up to cheer you in your toughest moments, and to tell you how proud I am of you.

If you fall down I will help you up. If you wish to stay down, I will respect your wishes, but I will still extend my hand from time to time.

I will not push, I will not pull. I may ask  questions. I may offer things that helped me get up after being knocked down, but that will..., that desire to step forward has to come within you.

I,  my friend do not have that. I don’t hold the power to motivate you. I can teach you, and encourage you with the daily habits that create discipline and leads to habit.

I can inspire you through my actions, but motivation, well, you have it. It’s an emotion. Just like every other emotion you feel, you are in control of it.

It’s temporary. Just like sadness, happiness, anger, fear.

Just turn it on, and put some discipline in it. Sometimes we have to be happy when we don’t want to..maybe for someone else temporarily. If you can turn that switch on, the same is true for motivation.

The discipline will help, not mean discipline, but self discipline. We have no instant reward for moving. It hurts sometimes, sometimes we are not good at it. It takes work, and for whatever reason we hold value in the number on the scale. Inches lost, pounds lost, thinner images. Well my friend those are byproducts of a bigger picture.

What if we could just reward ourselves by tapping into the feel good ?

Think about the moments when you’ve danced while no one's watching. When you’ve walked or run an outdoor trail, when you’ve belted out your favorite song in the shower or car and no one’s listening.

How do those things make you feel??

Emotions, feelings, emotional well being , confidence in your skin will bring about the physical process, because I guarantee, having a thinner body will not bring on self love if the relationship doesn’t exist now in your heart!

This photo was taken 11 years ago. I was a brand new non-smoker ..scared of gaining weight...but my motivation to stay quit was stronger than fear..I knew why I wanted change .
We all have motivation..it just needs a nudge...go get it!

1.  Write down why you want to feel better.
2. Schedule a daily 30 minute"movement session" (start with walking..or something you can do easily) 5 days per week.
3. Stick to this for 2 weeks before adding any "harder" workouts in. (It's more important to get the habit of routine and the feeling of success.
4. If there is no time in your schedule go to bed 1/2 hour early and get up 1/2 hour earlier.
5. Put away the scale. Get your excitement by checking it off your "to do" list and by how good you feel when you are done.

Go easy on yourself! Habits are not made overnight. It takes discipline from you, just like it takes discipline to learn to brush your teeth daily as a child.

Yes, self care is that important.

I know you got this because you are reading this article :) 

Go get it!