Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Commitment

"At the moment of commitment the universe conspires to assist you"
-not sure who said it originally, I heard it from Jon Vroman a long time ago

Commitment is the next logical step after motivation.  One you figure out what motivates you it's time to make a commitment.  Motivation is the fuel and commitment is what keeps your foot on the gas pedal.  Lack of the commitment is the reason most people fail-not just in health and fitness but in life.  When you're commited 100% nothing gets in your way because you have your eye on the prize.  When you're feeling lazy or your schedule gets busy, you remind yourself of your commitment and you drag yourself to the gym or make that healthy meal instead of ordering out.

A friend of mine recently shared her commitment with me:

"I'm going to Florida in a few weeks and want to look great. That means gym 6-7 days/wk.  I work an 8am-5pm job Monday through Friday.  Last week I had something to do EVERY NIGHT after work.  It was brutal-that means...no time for the gym at night.  So what did I do?  I woke up at 4:30 every morning and got my ass to the gym before work.  It was SO HARD getting out of bed, even getting my eyes to stay open.  My MOTIVATION was picturing myself a few hours later, sitting at my desk at work, and feeling awesome.  Feeling awesome that I got my workout out of the way for the day, feeling awesome physically, energized, etc.  Feeling awesome that I actually pushed through it and felt amazing mid-morning, I wasn't dreading the workout all day that I knew I would have to do at night."

I give Kristen a lot of credit for waking up at 4:30am for five days straight, I don't even like dragging myself out of bed at 5:15am on Weds to teach one spin class!  For sure she is 100% committed.  Commitments less than 100% won't get you over the hump once adversity in the form of distractions, unhealthy temptations, reasons not to work out at night like, "but Dancing with the Stars is on" or "It's half price Martini night at Madisons!"

You may be thinking "easier said than done Liz," so this week's CALL TO ACTION will be steps to committing:
1.  For beginners start with something you are 100% positive you can do such as "workout 3 days this week" and commit to doing it for a month straight so it will become a habit.  Depending on your schedule maybe you work your way up to 4-5 days/wk by the end of the month-as long as that 3days/wk stays consistent.  This will boost your conficence and strengthen your commitment when you are able to say, "I said I was going to do it and I did it!"

For those of you who are more advanced and have been working out for a period of time, maybe you get to the gym/exercise 4-6 days/wk challenge yourself to switch up your routine and push yourself beyond what you've been doing.  But again-still apply the principle of only committing to something you're 100% positive you can do so your commitment promotes confidence-not disappointment because you challenged yourself to do something unreasonable.

2. Start telling others (like me if you'd like to comment) what your commitment is so you are now accountable to someone other than yourself.

3.  When you get out of bed in the morning and before you to go to bed at night remind yourself what motivates you and tell yourself (out loud even!) that you are committed to that goal.

If you're unsure of where you should start, let me know-I'm happy to make suggestions!

2 comments:

  1. Here's a great email I received in response to the post on Commitment (love CGs sense of humor too :P) :

    Dearest Liz,

    I love your new found calling to promoting living a healthy lifestyle. I know how hard it is to be motivated, inspired, and committed to achieving goals, especially in the sense of my physical appearance and health. Ever since I wanted to change my adolescent struggle of being a husky little chubster, I've gone through many bouts with my workouts. I've done diets, played different types of sports, and just tried to give up certain things. It hasn't really been until recently that I think i've finally found my stride. Since January i've lost 10 lbs, which doesn't seem like a lot, but that also accounts for the lean muscle mass i've gained as well. I've committed to working out at least 4 days a week, whether it be going to the gym and lifting/cardio, rock climbing, basketball, soccer, and other physical activities.

    I gave up the notion of "dieting" and instead have gone through a lifestyle change. In addition to workout out consistently, I am more cautious about the types of food I eat, especially with regards to eating out. I used to deprive my body, especially when it was hungry, but now I'm eating 5-6 times a day. When I do go out to eat, i've come to the realization that they give you 2-3 times a normal serving proportion, so I ALWAYS make sure i bring food back in a doggy bag. Yogurt, nuts, granola, raisins, and veggies have been my snacking friend. I've learned to eat less red meats, and stick more to fish, chicken, and turkey. My motivation, believe it or not, is girls, ladies, and chicas. This past weekend some of my girl friends have noticed a change in my body, and those compliments have fueled my eagerness to keep up with this healthy lifestyle.
    I feel better physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. My confidence has sky rocketed, and I can fit into my pants that i never thought i'd ever be able to again. I definitely did not realize i'd go off on such a tangent with this, but you inspired me to write about my experience in the past months. Here's to our health and happiness!

    Cheers,

    CG

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  2. Wow, I feel like CG said everything I would say (minus being motivated by chicas). Since the beginning of last summer I've lost 25 lbs (all that freshman weight) and feel amazing! I've adopted the idea "lifestyle change" over diet as well, because diet implied that it was temporary. I've also learned that I can't be 100% vegan all the time, as Anthony Robbins says, life isn't a straight line, it's more of a zig zag. And it's okay to allow yourself to "zag" every so often and enjoy your favorite food so you don't break down in desperation and devour a whole cake. Also, I learned that even when I feel unmotivated, if I put myself in my gym clothes, put myself in my car, and drive to the gym, I will have no choice but to work out and will feel amazing afterwards.


    My goal for this summer is to stay in shape even as I run my branch. People have told me that it's really hard and I know I'll probably be dead tired at the end of the night, but even if it means doing a workout video in my office, I'm going to get 'er done. I recently purchased P90X and my plan is to do that every night through the summer. I've lost the weight and toned up a decent amount, now I just want to continue to tone. Once the summer's over I want to train for a triathalon.

    Thank you for starting this blog! It's great to learn from someone who's not only passionate and knowledgeable about health and fitness but also personal growth :)

    -Kmart

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