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5 Reasons to Stay Motivated

By Cindy | August 17, 2007

When a baby arrives,  motivation to return to pre-baby weight starts out strong, but a baby’s schedule is relentless. As the baby approaches toddler hood, the energy to maintain their schedule and personal fitness are in direct competition. More than once, the baby and/or toddler wins. You think to yourself, “I was up all night. I must care for baby. I can’t workout now; I have to cook dinner. I need to go to work. I have to spend time with my baby.” Excuse after excuse fills your mind and soon, you’ve talked yourself out of a workout for a day, a week, then a month and so on. How do we stay motivated in our sleep-deprived, child-centered world?

When I had Little Man, I was excited to start my postpartum workouts. I set up a routine that I began the day after he was born. I stuck to it for the first few days. Mind you this was a series of simple kegel exercises followed by some breathing exercises. They were helpful and made me feel like I was making great progress. However, after a few nights of two to three feedings, the days became a blur. I’d forget to get in a set of kegels. I’d go a day and then start up again, but with less determination. Finally, I had convinced myself that I just needed to survive…

the day–a very, understandable feeling for a first time mother. I returned to work two months after Little Man was born. I was required to workout at least three times a day. For two months, I slowly incorporated fitness into my days. My motivation at the time was forced. It was part of my workday. I took advantage of those workouts and enjoyed the time.

After my second baby, I was no longer working for the Navy. I stayed at home and had to find a time out of my day to workout. With a newborn baby and a toddler, I found myself overwhelmed. I focused just on trying to get a walk in the morning or a quick video during naptime. My motivation was inconsistent. It was a trying and difficult adjustment of staying home and having no one enforce my workouts. I took two years to discover what motivates me to consistently find time to work out. Here are my five reasons to stay motivated:

1. I am an example to my children. The habits of children are strongly influenced by what they see. By making fitness an important part of my day, I build the basis for my children’s development to make fitness a priority in their life.

2. My health is important for my family. How I depart this earth is in God’s hands. However, I have a responsibility to lead a healthy lifestyle to counter poor dietary choices that could lead to heart disease or obesity.

3. More energy. I cope with more challenges and time constraints when I have worked out. My energy levels are higher and I sleep better. Ultimately, I work at a better capacity when awake. With children in the house, housework and work, a boost in energy is a must!

4. Better Mood/ Outlook. I feel better and give off a more positive vibe. Exercise is known to decrease negative thoughts. By being happier, I view the various antics of a toddler with a better sense of humor.

5. Achievement/Sense of Accomplishment. One of the most frustrating aspects of being a stay-at-home mom was getting to the end of the day and wondering what I had achieved. Everything I did throughout the day seemed to resurface by the end of the night. Dishes, meals, laundry, toys, and clutter multiplied daily. I love staying home with my children. I love the moments when I see their development, but housework is repetitive and boring. The day to day work of dealing with small babies and toddlers create a sense of living through Groundhog Day. When I was working, I always had projects with deadlines and progress reports to complete. When I work out, I feel like I’ve accomplished something. I monitor my progress by the end of the day. Even when I am only able to get 10 of 15 minutes, I can chalk up a mark for accomplishing something in fitness. Increasing my heart rate or feeling the slight soreness after a strength training routine motivates me.

These are the ways I stay motivated. Other means of motivation are pictures(your current, past or possibly someone you’d like to look like), the mirror, a smaller size of clothing hung in a prominent spot in your bedroom. Small daily reminders are helpful for those times when you don’t feel motivated.

Motivation changes with with time. Your circumstances are always shifting. Don’t feel like you have to be stuck in a rut. Realizing that you can motivate yourself to do anything is quite liberating. You make the choice and put your mind and heart into it. Once you do that, you’ll be unstoppable even when you have your bad days. We all have bad days, weeks, months, but the real sign of motivation is the ability to return to the goal and keep going forward, regardless of where you are in your journey.

What do you do to stay motivated?

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Topics: Motivation |