One thing I really struggle with during the summer is finding time and motivation to exercise. I call it my ‘curse of summer,’ my absolute refusal to work out in heat and the ever-so-popular excuse ‘I’m too busy’ line. Whether justifiable or not (probably not), my summers tend to turn in to a lot of “Oops, I didn’t work out for the past xxx days, oh well!”
Now with school starting again and fall kicking back in, I’m much more inclined and willing to go head first into my training routines. (Especially with my race dates staring me in the face from my calendar!) For me, it’s a seasonal thing (I’m definitely a cold weather person – yay snow!) but for others, finding motivation to exercise can be as difficult as finding Carmen San Diego (#90schild).
Exercise partners, race dates, personal fitness goals, weight loss, etc. are all good motivators to get you moving. But I came across a witty article in the August 2013 issue of Runner’s World, “The Newbie Chronicles: What’s in a Name?” by Marc Parent, that shone a light on a new way to motivate yourself.
“When you think about something, you can usually find a reason not to do it. The more you think, the more reasons you find. The list gets long and a fool goes running – the longer the list, the bigger the fool.”
He goes on…
“By the time I realize I don’t want to do it and I don’t have the time and it’s raining, I’m already out the door!”
[Excuse me, I need to go run quick…]
Not only does this concept apply to running or exercise in general, but it can also apply to your studies, relationships and other responsibilities that tend to be neglected or procrastinated. I keep a sign from a Nike ad in my room that says “If you went running when you first started thinking about it, you’d be back by now.” True right?
Parent goes on to give a few more tips on how to keep up a routine. I enjoyed his third:
Quit.
You can only quit something after you’ve done it before. Same goes for a diet, studying, exercise, music, and personal improvement.
While this story struck an exercise chord with me – it can relate to any kind of activity/initiative you need to stay focused, committed and motivated (school anyone?). I challenge you to set a few goals for yourself this semester that you can quit often and start without hesitation. Where will you be at the end of December?
-Courtney
Courtney Cerniglia is a senior at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point majoring in business administration and Spanish.
Further Resources:
Exceed in your academics – UWSP Tutoring-Learning Center
Take back your health – Allen Center
Take the next step – UWSP Counseling Services
Online Fitness Tracker
Online Goal Tracker