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Lack of self motivation.

It can happen to anyone. And it can be about pretty much anything. For me it's been with making myself go running. I was doing really well for a while, but after my first 8K I fell out of my routine pretty quickly. I was giving myself a few days off ( 1. I was sore 2. I was tired 3. I deserved it gosh darnit!) but a few days turned into a week and you know how it goes from there. There are no excuses. We just stop caring about certain things for whatever reason.

Maybe it's been ingrained in our minds that instant gratification can be our only motivation. For example, I could go running today, but I really wouldn't feel the benefits of it until a few weeks of running consistently. Whereas if I go shopping or take a nap I reap the benefits instantly. Or do I?

If I go shopping, sure I'm excited about whatever object I buy, but in reality, that excitement fades, my wallet is a little lighter, and let's say I've missed my chance to go running that day, thus decreasing my energy and not helping my health in the long run.

The way we should be thinking (and by we I mean me) is "Hey, I should run now, get it out of the way, so then I can go shopping and not feel guilty for not running." That way, we exercise, thus promoting our health, stick to a routine, and at the same time on our day off from running we can go shopping or do whatever it is we wanted to do in the first place. I'm not ruling out instant gratification, but I'm suggesting pairing it with positive results that we will see over time.

Easier said than done. But I think it's all about controlling your mind. It's about tricking ourselves into doing something we don't really want to do and learning how to reap the benefits.

It's 7:17 as I'm sitting here writing this. I came home from work and got into comfy clothes right away. Now I could go see what's on TV and relax like I want to do. OR I could put on some gym shoes and go downstairs and run on the treadmill. See, I wouldn't even have to leave the house! So while I finish up this post, I'm going to think of ways to trick myself into thinking that I really want to go running right now.

I really want to go running. I really want to go running. I don't really want to go running....but I should want to go running...