Gal Talk: Motivation

Motivation. It's a bit of a dirty word to a high school teacher. We are always trying to find a new way to motivate our students and let me tell you friends, in 2012 even this "young dog" is having a hard time finding any "new tricks" to motivate her students.

Motivation applies to many things. Motivation to be successful in a career. Motivation to be successful in a partnership. Motivation to raise a family, be a supportive parent, or understanding to an aging parent.

Finding the motivation to be healthy is one of the most common topics around the lunch table and blogging world, however. I don't usually say much about motivation around these parts for many reasons, mostly because I think "motivation" is truly different for everyone and should be a personal thing.

I know that I personally am not motivated when people yell or scream "hard, faster, push-push-push" or anything of the sort. I just don't really like yelling. Or being bossed around. Or anything that seems remotely similar to military boot camp. In fact at my triathlon one spectator (she was another competitor's coach, I think) started yelling at me to "push harder" during the last mile of the run and I may have yelled back a few not so nice things. Don't push me; it just makes me angry, not motivated.

Needless to say, most of the "motivational things" that are said in group classes, such as spinning, Body Pump and Body Combat don't really get me going either.

Source

PS. This isn't my gym. They didn't have any group class photos. Lame, GHF. 

This Saturday I had a revelation. Right in the middle of Body Combat. Carrie, our instructor kept saying that if we we want "to see change you have to go get it. It won't just come to the doorstep" or something to that effect. Sometimes sweating my brains out makes my memory a touch fuzzy. I'm sure you understand.

Anyways, as usual I was tuning out the "motivation" spewing forth from the instructor's mouth until the last track. Push-ups. Ugh. I hate push-ups. And after a bunch of punching drills that had already shredded my arms and shoulders I really, really hate push-ups. Honestly I was about to fake my way through the set when Carrie once again said "change won't come to you, you have to go get it" and for some reason it finally clicked. If I want ripped arms, I have to fight through the push-ups. 

Now I know most of you are saying "duh, Jess. Did you really just climax with that?" Stay with me. Aside from realizing I need to embrace push-ups the important lesson I learned while teetering on shaking arms and abs was I am motivated by rational "cause and effect" statements. 

Guess that means that I'm finally motivated to be motivated. And you know what? It feels good.

Love to all,

~the "motivate me with logic and reason" gal, Jess