That is the definition of Inspiration. Everyone looks for it in different places- through celebrities, the latest movies and music, through their friends and family, or even through strangers. What is it that inspires us? Something pretty, flashy, sparkly? Someone new or something we have never seen before? Or perhaps what inspires us is something we yearn for in ourselves.
And once we become inspired, how do we keep that inspiration? For many people, the inspiration comes in a flash, on a whim. But it's as if we need a constant reminder of that *flash* to keep us going. For anyone who has tried to lose weight (or for that matter, anyone who has tried to live more healthy in general), keeping the inspiration going is not easy.
Staying motivated is by far one of the hardest parts of losing weight. Physically, it's easy to create more healthy meals, but mentally it's difficult to get out of the rut that many of us are in. Physically, it's easy to get up and go for a walk, or do a few push-ups. Mentally, it's difficult to get out of that comfort-zone that we so love to stay in.
I'm still experimenting with what keeps me going. I have used many techniques- everything from food journals, to putting aside money after every workout. Yet, I still struggle. Currently, I have an "inspiration board" hanging in my kitchen that I check in with every day. My board consists of a white board to write myself messages, a cork board to pin inspiring images, and a calendar to keep track of my workouts. This setup seems to be working well for me.
There have been numerous studies that show that "vision boards" have great success rates in terms of keeping people inspired. People seem to stay on track with whatever their goals are when they have something consistently inspiring to look at.
So, as a way of ending this post, I want to know what keeps you inspired. What keeps you inspired to live your life, however you choose to live it?
Good question, Meg. I'm not sure if it qualifies as inspiration but I think I am inspired by my own successes. When I have been making healthy choices and I see/feel the impact of those healthy choices, then I am inspired to continue on that path. Success breeds success? Poor choices tend to discourage me and I feel as if I failed at being a healthy person so why bother. Make sense?
ReplyDelete