We all have those days. You know the ones I’m talking about. You get up, swing your feet off the bed and just sit there. You start to wonder, “Why am I doing this?” I know it happens to me. Some mornings, I sit there for a good 10 minutes wondering if I really want to get up and work out. So what keeps me motivated? At that specific moment, nothing.
Really. On most of those mornings, I’m 100% sure I don’t want to go. I can’t think of a single thing that says go, work out. I just want to roll over in the bed and go back to sleep. Eventually, I’ll say a little prayer and force myself up. More often than not, after I’m done with my workout I’m just done. Sometimes I end up face down in the dirt. I’m sore and tired and done. Nothing motivational happens.
Every once in awhile, I look back after that workout and find something memorable happened. I finally get to the top of that route I’ve been trying to climb. The one that I’ve failed ten times before. I set a new personal record on my 5k, even though the last five runs felt like I was running through molasses. I run five miles when I was sure my legs weren’t going to make it past two. I manage to do those five extra push-ups, burpees. Maybe even a pull-up.
On those days the workout is over and I’m smiling. I’m feeling good about myself. Will I remember those days the next time I’m trying to get up and workout? Probably not. I’ll still sit there wishing I would lay back down and go back to sleep. The only thing I can do is say a little prayer for help and force myself to get up and get going.