|
One of my heroes is British runner Ron Hill. When I was running
cross-country in high school I watched Hill win the Boston
Marathon clad in Union Jack-decorated clothing. His performance
and flamboyance were inspirational to me. But what most amazed
me and what motivates me to this day is his amazing dedication.
Ron Hill has run every day since 1964! Imagine: Sick with fever;
on business trips; when kids were born; while depressed; no
matter how legitimate the distraction, he’s true to his
commitment and gets in his workout.
Obviously, Hill is an exceptional individual with an incredible
work ethic that not all can emulate. You can however, use his
extraordinary example of commitment to motivate yourself when
life topples your well-laid exercise plans. To help, we’ve
compiled some important guidelines. Keep these in mind when a
crazy schedule or predicament tempts you to give up on your
fitness goals.
Be Selfish
You deserve the exercise you scheduled—stick with your plan no
matter what. Don’t hesitate to be direct and tell people that
exercise is a priority to you, one of the few things you do for
yourself, and you’re going to fit it in even if it means giving
something else up. Expel any guilty feelings by remembering that
without exercise you’ll feel a lot different about yourself and
might even act different—many people do.
Be Stubborn
Once a week, or at least every evening, plan how to fit your
workout in the following day and do your darndest to make it
work. Then, don’t let setbacks stifle your urge to train. For
example, if a sudden business meeting uses up the lunch hour you
slated for a workout, when you get home, hit the trail, gym, or
road before dinner. Or an hour after dinner, slip out for your
workout. If you decide that nothing will deter you from your
plan, you can always find a way. And every time you beat the
odds you’ll feel great.
Be Flexible
Think of surprises as opportunities and you’ll be able to handle
schedule problems. If you plan a long bike ride for Wednesday
morning before work and you oversleep, don’t get upset. Instead,
reason that you probably needed the rest and try to fit in a
short ride before work, during the day, or in the evening. Or
maybe just take a long walk at lunch. Remember that you can
always adjust workouts later in the week if necessary. This
flexibility will help reduce the stress level and you’ll feel
less pressure attaining fitness goals.
Be Resourceful
It may take ingenuity to stick to your plan. Maybe you’ll need
to squeeze in a workout by walking, running, or biking to work
or home. Traveling on business? Try booking rooms in hotels with
gym facilities. Or you might improvise like Thomas Prehn, a
champion cyclist who travels to Japan frequently. Because he’s
in meetings most of the day, Prehn found it impossible to train
on these trips—until he had the idea of traveling with a Bike
Friday folding bike and an indoor training stand. The trainer
and the Bike Friday fit in the same suitcase so when Thomas
reaches his hotel he combines the bike and trainer to create an
exercise bike he can use in his own room. Now there’s a
resourceful guy.
Be Determined
To help remain motivated and get your workouts in, it’ll help to
focus on your goals. If you’re determined to accomplish them,
you’ll find ways to do what needs doing. Every time you feel
things getting out of control, think about what you’re working
up to, key on how great it will be if you can reach your goal,
and you’ll find yourself motivated and more determined than ever
to do what it takes to stay on track.
Be Prepared
One big part of successfully reaching a goal is to
expect problems and have solutions in mind. Many athletes have
short but high quality workouts in the hopper that they can
squeeze in when the actual planned training falls through. Sure,
they don’t get the same result but having an alternative plan
helps reduce stress and even a different workout is far better
than skipping one.
|
