Putting 1 to 4 into Action

Nals started with 4 of 10 tips.

Here’s how I (Kells) put those first 4 into motion…

1) True motivation = YOU.

Nals said she changed her motivation from improving her looks to choosing to live.

What is MY motivation?

First, Let me break it down…what is Motivation? I mean we all know the word and I don’t think we need to Wiki it…but when I look at the word, what am I seeing? What is motivation? For me I see 2 things; 1. Motive and 2. Action. I need a motive and I need to act.

H­onestly, I struggle every day. Unlike Nals, I don’t have a serious medical health condition to motivate me.

So what is my motive?

→At first, it really was to lose weight.

→Look better for others.

My whole life I have never really needed to work out.

  • I eat pretty well, even though I have tried a few fad diets.
  • I was sporty in school, did track and was always moving.

But getting older, doing a bachelors, then a masters, and a pretty serious car accident I realized, weight goes on easy.

Then I had back surgery. This slowed me right down and doctors told me that I would need to take care of my back.

Trust me, this was a slow process.

But it was my motive. I could see my future of being bed ridden and suffering if I didn’t start to exercise. Which pushed me to action.

2) Empower yourself through education & wise choices.
Nals talks about surrounding yourself with like minded people.
And she’s right!

I have a lower back injury. So I can’t just do any old exercise. I needed to find what was right for me. I like to do this kickboxing circuit but I wasn’t able to do some of the stations. It was frustrating because I was able to do them before and I thought I may have to give it up. But I spoke up, talked to the trainers, met with a personal trainer and was able to figure out modifications.

Yes there are days that still don’t work for me. And yes it is frustrating. BUT I keep telling myself my motive.

3) Aim for S.M.A.R.T. goals.

If you read Nals post she links to SMART goals. What’s interesting about this, as a social worker, I get to teach groups and two of the groups I have taught is motivational enhancement and SMART goal making.

Since Nals linked to the SMART goals template, I will give you my example. After years of off and on again gyming, fad diets and yo-yo weight I realized my goals we not working for me. As soon as I start to think long term goals; like I need to work out 5x this week or my brother’s wedding is in July, I need to get in better shape for that, I get overwhelmed and fall hard. I shut down and stop going.

In Sept 2017, I started a project, where I started to count the days I went to the gym consistently.

  • I stopped thinking about how much I needed to do, and
  • I started with one day at a time.

And this has been a huge difference!

I don’t know if you have seen our Instagram page, but I just posted 48 workouts.


(It’s more than 48 now…can you guess where I’m at?)


4) Implement exercise. Keep it enjoyable & doable.

Nals says it all: Enjoyable and doable.

My gym is literally on my route to work. I barely have to get off the road to go in. Completely taking away the excuse that it’s too far away.

I enjoy it. Kicking the stink and punching the fluff out of the bags is so satisfactory to me. I leave it all there. The bags at my gym have felt every negative day, every frustration and every bad thing that happens at my work and in my life.

And let me tell you, it makes me feel so much better. Not only am I getting fit, but I use that moment between me and the bag to focus, pray, and ground me.

That’s it for me. But here’s my encouragement for you:

Take 10 mins to sit down and write out your 1 through 4.

  1. What is your motivation?

When you think about motivation, what does the word mean to you?

2. What education do you need to empower yourself?

Do you need a personal trainer? To see a doctor? Maybe talk with a friend? How will you empower you?

3. SMART Goals

Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time frame. And don’t forget these may change…so it’s important to review them often.

4. What do you find enjoyable and doable?

Remember, keep it fun and doable. Working out shouldn’t be a chore.

 

Oh and PS. Nals is a huge inspiration and motivator for me. I have known her a few years now and watching her journey has been a blessing. I don’t think she realizes how much she motivates me! (THANKS NALS!)

What do you guys think of our first 4 tips?
Do-able?
Fabulous?
Inspiring?

What’s your guess for which number I’m at in my workout days?

Leave us a comment with your thoughts below!

 


Deprecated: ltrim(): Passing null to parameter #1 ($string) of type string is deprecated in /var/www/wptbox/wp-includes/wp-db.php on line 3030

One thought on “Putting 1 to 4 into Action

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.