Thursday, October 20, 2011

Incentives

You would think good health and a personal sense of accomplishment would be incentive enough to stick with an exercise plan, right? But, I suppose if that were that case we would all have a lot more company out there on the trails and in the gyms. Truth is, I just don't do much unless there is something in it for me....or if there is something painfully horrible that will happen if I don't.

So I'm being very conscious this go-round about keeping myself on track. I'm using rewards, reminders, and any sort of motivator I can think of as I embark on my next round of training.

Rewards
Races. I love races. So each time I finish one race I will allow myself to sign up for one or two more.

Clothes. I don't even have to buy many. I have so many cute clothes I bought last year that I can't fit into right now - so I can pretty much just shop in my basement as I lose weight.

Running Gear. There are some items I've really been wanting to buy. So I put together a little list of these "prizes" that I will allow myself to indulge on as I hit certain goals.

Vacation Planning. I love me a good vacation! And, if I could, I would spend all day, every day planning them out. So now I'm using it as a reward. On Sunday nights, if I have completed all my training for the week I will sit down in front of the computer with a drink and celebrate with a new destination :) I have a few trips in the works to spend the time on too. I suspect by the time November 2012 rolls around, my little trip to Tulsa for the marathon may just turn into a two week romp along Route 66.

Reminders
Training Schedule. I plastered all eight pages of Jeff Galloway's training plan for the Tinkerbell Half on my bedroom door. I can't go anywhere or do anything without seeing it staring me right in the face.

30 Minutes a Day. Jeff Galloway's plan only calls for three days of running a week, so I'm also including an additional 30 minutes of walking or cross-training each day. This is on my daily To Do List and seems pretty easy to accomplish since I don't call it "training" :) I track this, along with other daily chores, at a www.goalforit.com Its amazing how important it is for me to get to give myself a little stamp each day. Its like I'm five - but it works.

Mastermind Group. I have started including my fitness goals, along with my business goals, when participating in my mastermind group. Knowing that I will have to report the following week on my progress keeps me accountable.

101 Kicks in the Butt. I printed out this article from Runner's World and I have it in a document holder on my desk. So if I ever feel sluggish I can just scan it and pick out a tip that works for me that day.

Motivators
Seeing Myself on Video. I have to put together some videos in the upcoming months. And while I think I look a supermodel, its apparent that YouTube does not share the same perspective.

This Blog. The comments I get here and the people I meet through this blog have given me more inspiration and motivation than I ever imagined. I seriously think you guys know more about me and understand me better than people I talk with in person every day. So I'm going to be more diligent about posting - at least three times a week.

Route 66 Marathon. This is a HUGE motivator for me. I had hoped to do it last year. I realized over the summer that I was nowhere near where I needed to be in order to participate. This year I will not allow myself to back down from the challenge. I even have people who will be there to cheer me on next year - which makes me think it was just meant to be to happen in 2012!

5 comments:

  1. I am so with you on the need for incentives. The health benefits are NOT enough. I love racing (or rather, running in races since I'm pretty darn slow) and that's a huge reward for me. I also keep my training plan on my bathroom mirror so I have to look at it EVERY TIME I use the bathroom. It helps me plan the next day and gives me the kick in the butt I need in the morning.
    You'll do great in your marathon! I'm so excited for you to reach your goals!! And while I won't be there in person when you run the Route 66 Marathon, I'll definitely be cheering from afar!!

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  2. Thanks, Nora. I get so much inspiration from you. But would you stop calling yourself slow forcryingoutloud! I've seen your times on dailymile and you are NOT slow. Especially in comparison to my turtle-like tendencies. I hope someday to run as "slow" as you do :)

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  3. I love your game plan! I mean you make this goal setting/achieving stuff sound so simple ... and simple is great! I had to click that link. I'm now thinking of making my own little charts on that website to make sure I do the things I need/want to do to accomplish goal.

    Yeah, I'm totally putting "Do the dishes" on there if that is a choice!

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  4. RR - You would so laugh if you saw my charts on there! I don't know why I'm so motivated by those little stickers, but I am. Plus it keeps track of how many days in a row you do each task. So if I've gone 12 days without drinking soda, it makes me REALLY not want to drink one because I know it will go all the way back to zero. I'm such a dork. But it works.

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  5. I need to remake my chart. I didn't realize how flexible is isn't. So my running looks bad because I alter my days all the time. But if I can remember to go in there I think it will work for me, too!

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