GlibFit has discussed motivation more than once. You must be motivated to start working out. Once you are doing your activity (or about to start your activity), your attitude is the single biggest factor on how that workout will go.

When I say attitude, I am referring to what it is going on in your head before you start your workout/run/hike/whatever. While I believe attitude and motivation are linked, I’m staying focused on attitude this week. You are about to start your activity, what’s happening inside you?

Have you checked your self-talk? Rolling out of bed early telling yourself this is another day to go kick some ass is a vastly different experience than getting up and telling yourself today is going to suck. Do you hear music you love or your spouse nagging you? Those will have quite different affects on what you do next.

What do you see in your mind’s eye before you start? If it’s a bright, big movie of doing your activity and doing it well, then you’re off to a good start. If it’s a black and white, still image of things going badly, then you have the makings of a demotivational poster in your head.

 

 

How do you feel before you start? I don’t mean warm or cold, loose or tight. I mean what is happening in your gut and muscles. When you think about what you are going to do does your pulse pick up, is your gut calm, and you feel some energy in your limbs? Yeah, you are ready to get some. Or is your heartbeat low, your stomach in knots, and your muscles unresponsive? Maybe it would be better to take a sick day.

All of this is within your control. If things aren’t going right for you, then you need to take control of yourself. If you notice your attitude isn’t what it should be then stop. Stop everything. Do not walk into the gym. Do not get on your bike. Do not start your walk. Stop, go inside yourself, and notice what is going on. Do it sense by sense. Notice what you see in your mind’s eye. Literally. Break it down feature by feature. Then start tinkering. Notice what happens to you when you make a dark picture bright, a still picture a movie, or a bring a distant visual in close. Do the same with what you hear and, separately, with what you feel.

You may find that making a change in one of your senses automatically creates changes in your other senses. There’s no need to tinker further than necessary. Once your bad attitude, however it manifests for you, has changed into a great attitude, it’s time to get moving.

Good Attitude.

Bad Attitude.