mo·ti·va·tion /ˌmoʊtəˈveɪʃən/ [moh-tuh-vey-shuhn] –noun
1. the act or an instance of motivating.
2. the state or condition of being motivated.
3. something that motivates; inducement; incentive.
Which leads to:
in·cen·tive /ɪnˈsɛntɪv/ [in-sen-tiv] –noun
1. something that incites or tends to incite to action or greater effort, as a reward offered for increased productivity.
–adjective
2. inciting, as to action; stimulating; provocative.
Right now I am having a difficult time finding that "something" that will incite me to greater effort. There are LOTS of things holding me back from it. For example, my legs are T-I-R-E-D. I don't want to walk up my stairs at home to the bathroom, let alone set foot on an elliptical machine, or do some lunges. My Bi's & Tri's are screaming at me, so they are not interested in assisting my shoulders in today's gym effort. Granted, they are hard as rocks right now, and that is kind of cool. Don't look like Monica, but I look better than I did a year ago, that's for sure.
Other things besides the physical are getting in the way of my motivation, too. A messy house, loads of laundry, errands galore (including figuring out my new food rotation).
Then there's the flat out sinister things that come into play. Non-fat Pumpkin Spice Latte that really, REALLY calls out to me. Apple cider, apple pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread ... every store, every time ... its there, beckoning you to fall into sinful bliss. Autumn is Satan's food playground. Oh, how I long to frolic on that playground ...
But I am not going to. I take a deep breath right now, filling myself with resolve. I am going to quickly browse through my Eat Clean Cookbook for a great soup recipe I can throw into the crockpot for tonight's dinner. Following, I will quickly compose a grocery list filled with the clean food items I know will be on my menu (chicken breast, egg whites, skim milk, apples, grapes, greens, etc.), then grab my gym bag and head out the door. I will have my mid-morning snack in hand, ready to eat after the workout, before the shopping. I will picture in my head all those dedicated women I aspire to emulate, physically, (especially, as we all know by now, Monica Brant). I will call Dom at ROC and set up my first boxing consult for sometime this week. I will not give in to the temptations on Satan's Playground.
In other words, I am digging deep today for the will power, motivation and incentive to do the things I know I need to do, and earn the rewards I fully intend to see.
"Continuous effort -- not strength or intelligence -- is the key to unlocking our potential." ~Liane Cardes~
"Making an animal of yourself relieves the pain of being a {wo}man." ~Manciata~
Today is a tough day, and by toughing it out, I will make myself tougher. Here's to the toughest.
"If you train hard, you'll not only be hard, you'll be hard to beat." ~Herschel Walker~
Just my two cents, Christina, but I will say I have looked at pictures of Monica (never heard of her until I started reading your blog). She looks great - WITH ALL HER CLOTHES ON! :-) I say here, here to any woman who is simply trying to be fit and basically in shape. That in itself is a full-time job, and more than most people are able to achieve.
ReplyDeleteI applaud your efforts to be fit. If you want a body like Monica's, by all means go for it - but getting as buff as she is? You don't have to work nearly that hard or go nearly that far.
Again, just two cents from an old friend!
dave
lol ... thanks Dave. I really do appreciate it. And I never have any intention EVER of competing ... I just have no desire. But I do really admire the look of toned, streamlined muscle. Monica has been an icon in this business for a long time (she turns 40 in a couple of days) and she is still at the top, constantly praises God, and never quits trying to be the best she can be. Its that part that I admire and want to emulate. If I can get a bit of her muscle tone along the way, I will be ecstatic. I like putting someone in front of me to aim for. :)
ReplyDelete