Dear Hard Work…

I came across this motivational piece and just had to share it with you!  I hope some of the lines resonate with you and inspire you to work hard toward the best you that YOU CAN BE….

“Dear Hard work,

I used to dislike you. Not in my work life, but when it came to working out, eating right, and achieving a healthier, fitter body. When you called my name I ducked away from you. When I knew you were coming I used to hide from you. When you had others talk to me I used to make excuses to get away from you. Afraid of the pain, afraid of failing. Who are you to make me afraid of you? Reflection in the mirror, shadow behind me, I take one step and you’re still ahead of me. Sweat in my face, tears in my eyes. You tell no lies. You turn the poor to rich, F’s to A’s. Is there anything you can’t do?

Now look at me. You made me who I am today. Because of you I have this never giving up attitude.

Quitting? That’s not in my vocabulary. When they quit? I keep going. When they say I can’t, I show them I can. When I tell them of my dreams and they laugh? I laugh last.

I’m a dream chaser. That means I chase my own dreams and no one else. Only I can defeat me. It’s me against the work you put on me. There is no quitting. Quitting? I will not quit.

I came this far and I am not stopping now.

Oh hard work, my Dad was right about you; you do pay off. Because of that, I love you. I’m no longer hiding from you. I’m waiting for you. I need you.”

Mini Goals

Goals help us stay on track with our workouts and keep focused, but establishing a goal can be tricky. Sometimes we fall short and get stressed out because we were aiming too high.  The best solution is to set daily, weekly, and monthly goals. This allows you to enjoy regular accomplishments and stay focused on the next step.

Establish a daily routine- organize your gear, know your workout, and stick to the same time of day so no matter what you get your workout in. In the last five minutes make sure to end on a high note and do something pleasant like stretching or cooling down with peaceful music you enjoy.

Every week get three workouts in as a minimum to maintain your fitness. Don’t focus on how long the sessions are;  just get moving. To improve your fitness be specific with the workouts- did you increase your weights by three or five pounds, or add a minute or two to build cardio endurance?

Every month hit a new target by extending the distance or length from the month before. You will feel empowered pushing past your endurance barrier. Have an event on the calendar to keep you motivated, like running a race. It is a great motivational tool and a way to meet new friends.

 

 

Your Stride on a Treadmill

Do you feel like your running form changes when you exercise indoors? That’s because your feet push off the surface when exercising outside and when on a treadmill you tend to pick up your feet and place them back down on the moving surface. Try to focus on pushing off the belt. You can also tense up because it alters your proprioception, or awareness of your body in space. Plus you have weather variables like wind to run against outdoors. To compensate for these factors, set the treadmill to 1.5-2.5 incline to promote good form of leaning forward at the ankles and landing more on your forefoot. Happy running!

Mental Blocks

Not having the right mindset can hold you back from making positive lifestyle changes. We all have less than ideal self talk from time to time, but are you setting yourself up to fail with fixed false beliefs? Telling yourself over and over that you will never be good enough, pretty enough, strong enough, smart enough, etc. will create a negative reality. What type of reality do you want to experience? I hope it is one of joy and excitement where you feel powerful and in control of your destiny. It’s not just about your image, but who you are inside radiates outward. Building yourself up with postive self talk will motivate you to be the person you want to be. We are all constantly changing to be the best version of ourselves in this life. Don’t continually undermine yourself with crippling negativity. Try to eliminate false beliefs from your life and create a more positive and joyful you!