The Motivational Tee Shirt

I was not motivated to work out this morning. I really wanted to blow it off, but knew I’d feel rotten if I did. So I dragged myself out of bed and to my drawer of workout clothes. What to wear? I mused groggily to myself. As I rummaged through the drawer, I got a glimpse of it–my motivational tank top.

It wasn’t until last Christmas that I had such a shirt. I’ve always been pretty “no fuss” when it came to workout wear, rarely splurging for anything non-essential. But my sister–my very awesome sister–gifted me with this bright red, go-get-em’ shirt. I adored it immediately.

Even though my sister included a note “for the days when you need a little extra motivation,” it took a little while for this concept to sink in. I kept wanting to save it for the days I knew I was going to put in a good, hard, sweaty workout. My “motivation” was earning the right to wear it. . . . Tsk. Tsk. I was so missing the point. But the mantra scrawled across the front was still inspiring. I’d repeat it to myself as I pumped the iron.

You can’t wear a shirt like this and wimp out! Fun, motivational wear by blogilates.

Then one day when I was feeling less than motivated, I grabbed it from my drawer. I don’t remember whether it was the only clean tank in the drawer or if I (finally) had an epiphany. Well aware that I didn’t really deserve to wear the cool shirt, I put it on. It was almost like pulling on a suit of armor. Something like osmosis – those words on the shirt stirred within me. “Today I will kill it!” . . . I started to believe it.

I may not have “killed it” today. I know I didn’t. But I put in a good workout (with Shaun T! Insanity’s Cardio Power and Resistance). I may not have “deserved” to wear the shirt today. I didn’t bring much to the table this morning! But maybe it doesn’t always have to come from me. Motivation and inspiration are all around us. It’s ours for the taking if just reach out and receive it.

Do you have a motivational shirt? What does it say? Or do gravitate toward a pair of “lucky” socks or a favorite tee shirt?

I’ve Failed to Plan

I had gotten into such a good rhythm. But life happened and rattled my routine. I lost sight of my goals, and then began to flounder. Where am I headed? Is that really where I want to go? I was getting sucked into the vortex, the blackhole of doubt and aimless wandering.

I lost my calendar-planner, which for several week had been my constant companion. I have since rediscovered it, under a pile of papers that needed sorting. But there it was: buried. Along with my motivation and optimism.

I’ve been trying to get the gears turning again. It takes a lot of effort to get momentum moving in the right direction again. Last week, I linked arms with motivation. We made a bit of progress.

But alas, the sun is setting on my Monday, and haven’t done much beyond the usual day-to-day stuff. And I realized, I haven’t planned. No inspired lists of things that will propel me toward my goals. No empty check boxes beckoning to be slashed by “Done!” marks.  No strategic road maps to a more productive day.

I cannot turn back the clock on today, but I can plan for the days ahead. The sun will not set before I write out a plan for my Tuesday. I can rock this week yet!

What about you? What motivates you? Do you have to write down your plans? If not, how do you keep focused?

Motivational Monday!

Michael Hyatt is a professional blogger. I first discovered him a few months ago when my friend posted a link to a really dynamic article, which I shared with my husband – and we still talk about it!

And now, I’m sharing it with you. 🙂

How a Shift in Your Vocabulary Can Instantly Change Your Attitude
by Michael Hyatt

I still find myself stopping mid-sentence to change the lackadaisical “I will try __________” to the determined and committed “I will (do) __________.” And I absolutely love saying “I get to __________.”  Doing so instantly reminds me of how fortunate I am – I’ve been given the gift of another day, love surrounds me, and endless are the possibilities of the morrow.

What do you think? Is there a shift in vocabulary you’d like to try make?

The Rubber Meets the Road

I’ve always been a planner. I write lists, create plans to reach goals, research the good/better/best method to get there. But last year, I discovered I too often got sucked into the vortex of endless preparation. I’d wanted each step to be perfect. After all, aren’t success and accomplishment built upon perfection? Ha! 

Please note, I, by no means, intend to devalue excellence. But my well-meaning, ever growing list of unfinished projects proved that I’d spent far too much energy redoing plans and writing more (and more) lists. Though I may have been working hard, I was totally spinning my wheels! I wasn’t moving forward. I want to move forward.

Ready. Set. Here I go! A fire now burns within me – a kindling urgency to do, to turn my desires into actions, to act upon advice that inspires me. My steps forward may be small, but each one takes me to a place I haven’t been before. And some have launched me out of my comfortable little corner!

Some steps have been bigger. I joined a new company. I unwittingly revamped my “normal” diet. (After 5 intentional weeks of clean eating, I couldn’t go back to the old “normal”!) I’m delving into a totally new workout routine – hello, heavy weights! And this blog.

Today, I’m taking my husband’s advice to “just write” and not (yet) worry about the design and layout. I have a background in layout and design, and in the past would have totally gotten sucked into that process (and more than likely “progress” would have stopped there). But surprisingly enough, choosing to ignore that for now isn’t bothering me. I’m not distracted by it (except that I’m now wondering whether I “should” be distracted by it). For today, writing is necessary to take that next step. The rest will come. And so far I’m not anxious about rushing that process.

What about you? Where do you want to see more progress in your life? What’s holding you back?