I’m struggling this morning.
In fact, for two weeks I’ve lacked the motivation to go to the gym. I still manage to go but it’s hard. Yes, I am physically tired but normally I’d be eager to go.
As I lay in my bed I ask myself the question, why? Why am I finding it so difficult? The first few weeks were so easy. I’d be excited the night before to go to the small gym, get sweaty and feel my legs and heart burn. I even had to force myself to go back to sleep, as I was too revved up to get on that treadmill.
Now today, I’m having to really push myself. Why? I ask myself. Then I remember something. Something small that happened nearly two weeks ago.
One afternoon my Son decides to take a fancy at the fridge magnets that are placed at the side of the fridge. One of the magnets was holding my Gym Tracker which I designed to track how often I went to the gym over a six-week period. The goal I set for myself was to go no less than 3 times a week.
Every time I went to the gym I would tick the box. Silly really, as I would feel a sense of satisfaction from seeing a week filled with four or more ticks. Just a tick that’s all but it brought me back to my school days, when ticks would bring me joy.
I had already reached the fourth week when I found my son standing by the fridge. The funny thing is, my Son could have picked any magnet, as there are so many but he had to go and play with the one holding my Gym Tracker. There was no time wasted telling my Son to put the magnet back but it was too late. My family and I watched as my Gym Tracker fell between the thin gap between the fridge and cabinet. They all turned round to me. I rewarded my Son with ‘You are in big trouble’ look. They couldn’t even laugh as they know how important it is to me. Actually my daughter did laugh, as she seems to find most things funny.
“Oh well, you best go and get it, as I need to tick that box”. I said, as I walked away, confident that my Son would be able to retrieve the tracker.
It’s now today and I still don’t have the Gym Tracker. Every attempt my family made to get it has failed. There was nothing thin enough to get it. Even a ruler wouldn’t fit, as there is no wiggle room between the fridge and cabinet. So no tracker, no tick, no sense of achievement, no motivation.
That’s the reason why I am finding it difficult to go to the gym. Yes, I can easily print off another tracker but the other tracker had all my achievements on. Seeing it beside the fridge encouraged me to go to the gym. I never really understood the power of visual aids until this morning. I have a list of goals in my head, on a spreadsheet but none of them have any visual aids. Mind you, I don’t think I’ll have enough fridge magnets for them all.
Anyway I am currently dressed for the gym. It appears that writing about my experience can also motivate me.
So today I learnt that if I have a goal, I have to have a visual aid.
Wow, am I the only one that’s new to this?
photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/7702423@N04/16960127755″>290/365/2481 (March 28, 2015) – Lazy Saturday (with Flapjack the Beagle)</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>
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