Time for a little motivation

So I had a couple of cancellations this morning and knew that it would be the perfect time to get my Tuesday run out of the way before a busy work day. I woke up before my alarm, feeling pretty well-rested. I knew it was chilly outside, so I bundled up and took the dog for a walk. As soon as I opened the back gate, the cold wind hit me like a brick wall. I knew that I wasn't going to run this morning. It could wait until this afternoon. Then the devil/angel debate began on my shoulders:

Devil: It's so cold! Wait until this afternoon when it warms up a little. I'm sure there won't be any wind then.
Angel: You've run in much worse. Get it out of the way.
Devil: Is that your stomach growling? You should eat a nice breakfast before going to work.
Angel: Just grab a piece of toast and you'll be fine. You'll only be gone for 40 minutes. It's not like you're racing a marathon. Just GO.
Devil: Those client profiles you have been ignoring really need some attention. Now you have an extra hour to tackle them.
Angel: Don't fool yourself. You know you feel better when you START your day with exercise.

So - who won? In today's case, the Devil won. I will tackle some hills on the treadmill this afternoon.

Last week I was chatting with a client about motivation. She was surprised to hear that I, an exercise addict of sorts, struggle with motivation sometimes, too. Everyone does. The trick is learning your barriers to exercise and doing your best to overcome them.

For me, I know that if I don't work out in the morning, I am far less likely to do it in the afternoon. Even if I have the time later in the day, other excuses creep in and before I know it, I'm sitting on the couch watching the latest trash TV shows. AM workouts also give me time to put together a decent meal for dinner after work. This doesn't mean that after-work routines are bad. Not at all! What works for you, works for you. Find a groove and stick with it.

By now you're thinking that I definitely won't exercise this afternoon. That's not necessarily true. You must be flexible to adhere to any kind of routine. Life happens, after all. And now that I have committed via the blog, I will definitely squeeze in my run this afternoon. :)

So next time the Devil on your shoulder starts whispering excuses, brush him off. Or at least give him a run for his money.

Have a great workout!