Oh, how I love the new year/fresh start energy that adds a boost to my sagging motivations. It’s amazing how we can trick our brains with a flip of the calendar and the perception of a novel month or year. “New” (year, person, toy, plan, yoga mat, stretch pants) is a fantastic fuel we borrow from to jump-start our goals for ourselves.
However, it doesn’t last. Our brains run out of ‘new’ energy as familiarity takes over novelty. And for some of us, when the novelty wears off and the new habits disappear, we experience negative emotions like shame, anger, and frustration. These are negative fuels that can give us a boost but ultimately fail to provide long-term motivation.
So, what other fuel sources can we draw on to maintain our fitness goals?
Where else do you get sustainable energy?
The following are sustainable and renewable fuels that go the distance.
- Fun. Is there play in your work out?
- Responsibility. A sense of responsibility might not be sexy but it is sustainable and where the power lies to choose taking care of self in the face of competing pressures to take care of everything and everyone else.
- Purpose. Why is fitness important to you? Reminding yourself of your purpose is one way to make friends with resistance. “Hey old habit, let me introduce you to my good friend, purpose.”
- Relationships. A client recently said, “I need the accountability that a fitness instructor provides to hold myself accountable to my goals.” Direct support, friendship and the transmission of knowledge between two people is a renewable resource.
- But more than our relationship to a good trainer, we also get fuel from our connectedness to others-our families, our friends, our communities. Nurturing our relationships helps us nurture ourselves.
Novelty is nice in the short run, but I prefer the satisfaction that comes from the lasting fuels I can draw on all year long.
Know More, Be Well with Body Dynamics!