Motivational Health Tools

You don't need actual tools to motivate yourself (unless, of course, you're the type of person who gets incredibly motivated by certain tools). A good amount of the motivation you'll need in order to achieve your goals of better health are internal motivations: things you think or say to yourself to keep you going when you don't feel like trying anymore. Figure out what motivates you, and you are well on your way to working toward better health.

WHAT MOTIVATES YOU?

What motivates you in other aspects of your life? Surely there are things you do and accomplish in your life that you have to work hard for. Things like promotions at work or the completion of a home project are the type of activities that require dedication and stick-to-itiveness, so how is it that you motivate yourself to acquire or complete these things? Do you take the stance that it's simply something you need to do and there is no question about it, or do you instead motivate yourself with little rewards? Maybe you see the end result as the ultimate reward, and that's what keeps you motivated to keep working toward your goal. Figure out what it is that gets you motivated in the other aspects of your life and then try to apply these ideals to your quest to improve your health.

It's great if you are the type of person who simply accepts that some things take hard work and that anything worth having is worth working hard for because you can certainly apply this to getting healthier. If you need small rewards along the way then that's fine too…as long as you aren't working toward your goal only so you can get your little rewards along the way. Getting healthy isn't like building an entertainment center. You can't set your goal to get healthier and then one day just be done with the project, and you can't sit back and admire all your hard work because a lot of what you will gain from getting healthier just isn't something you can physically see with your own eyes. If you think that the usual motivational tactics you use throughout the rest of your life might work with getting healthier then by all means give them a try and see if they help. It's a good idea to stick with what you have always known to work for you, and if it doesn't work then you can set about finding different motivation that will actually help.

What motivates you might be different from what motivates someone else. Just because everyone else you know is motivated by something - whether it's wanting to be a certain dress size or wanting to complete a triathlon - this does not necessarily mean that you will be motivated by the same things. Don't get down on yourself if you aren't that excited by the same things other people are excited about. Maybe you don't really feel like you need to lose any weight and maybe completing a triathlon is the furthest thing from your mind right now. Don't force yourself to embrace the motivations of the people around you because inevitably these motivations will fall short. Sure, train with your friend for a triathlon, but do it because you want the physical activity and camaraderie and not because you figure that anyone who is trying to get healthy would surely want to do a triathlon. You have to make sure that your motivations to get healthy are just that: your motivations. Anything else is not going to keep you going when you feel like giving up.

Do you have trouble finding motivation? It's true that there are some people who just aren't all that motivated. They squeak by on the bare minimum and hardly ever have the initiative to do anything beyond what is expected of them. Are you one of these people? If this sounds like you then you have a particularly rough time ahead of you. Getting healthy is not the easiest of tasks, and unless someone is forcing you to do it then it's pretty much a self-motivated process. You will have to examine your life and see what it is that motivates you to do the certain things you actually do accomplish. Do you like video games? Maybe the reason why you like them so much is because you can attain victories while also escaping the humdrum dealings of everyday life.

Think of a way you can put these motivations toward a healthy life. You can attain victories when you are trying to get healthy, whether it's a certain amount of weight lost or the ability to do something that you weren't able to do before. You can also escape everyday life with your quest to get healthy…physical activities can take you to different places that you have never been to. Try rock climbing and see if that doesn't make you feel like some sort of superhero. Try sitting in a sauna for an extended period of time and see if that doesn't allow your mind to wander and escape the world for a while. You just have to figure out what motivates you and then apply it to getting healthy. It can be done, but sometimes you just have to get a little creative in your motivations.

MAKE YOUR MOTIVATION VISUAL

A picture is worth a thousand words. You may have an external reason for wanting to get healthy beyond the benefit to you. A great example of this is if you have kids; many parents reach a point in their lives when they decide that the time has come to get healthier so they can enjoy life with their kids better while also attempting to live longer so they can be there for their kids in the future. If this sounds familiar then you may want to post a picture of your beloved kids in various places where you might need the motivation. A picture of your kids stuck to your treadmill might motivate you to exercise just a little bit longer while a photo of your kids' smiling faces placed prominently in the kitchen might be just the motivation you need to keep from indulging in foods that are not so good for you.

It doesn't even have to be kids that motivate you. Perhaps you want to make sure that you don't wind up dead at age fifty from a heart attack like your uncle; if this is the case then try putting his picture up in different places to remind you of what you are trying to avoid. The photos do not have to be of people, because maybe a goal of yours is to climb a certain mountain or avoid a certain ailment, and you can use these things as motivation. Just find a picture of a photo that is indicative of your goals and place this picture in places where you might need the motivation. A visual reminder of your goal can be of great help when you don't feel like putting in the hard work.

Don't sabotage yourself. It's one thing to post photos up around your house and other places in an attempt to motivate yourself, but it's another thing entirely to use photos and pictures as a way to bully yourself into exercising and eating right. For example, a not-so flattering picture of yourself in swimwear plastered on your fridge in an attempt to keep you from overeating might backfire and actually have the opposite effect. You might get so angry at the sight of the photo that you channel the emotion into the wrong things. You might take on a certain "what do I care?" attitude as a result of the constant reminder of your inadequacies, and this isn't good.

Of course, there are some people for whom this type of motivation works wonders; they need the aggressive reminders of why they need to work toward better health and so if this is how you are then go right ahead and give it a try. If you aren't this way, however, then you will probably want to avoid this type of motivational tactic. You don't want to sabotage your own efforts, and you certainly don't want to develop a sort of self-hate that may come from constantly degrading yourself. If you don't have any self worth then how can you expect yourself to want to work hard toward improving your health?

Visualization can work wonders. Have you ever tried visualization and imagery? These tactics allow you to put a certain image in your mind without needing to carry a picture or other visual object around. If you work on visualizing whatever it is that motivates you - your kids, your parents, a smaller dress size, whatever - then you can reference this image in your mind whenever you need it. This can be a powerful motivational tool, and you can also use visualization tactics when you are having a particularly tough time finishing a task or avoiding something detrimental to your health. For example, if you are taking a walk around a lake and you're getting tired but still have another mile to go you can visualize yourself finishing the walk and also imagine how great you'll feel afterwards. You can visualize how proud you will be that you stuck to it and actually finished.

Another example is if you have quit smoking cigarettes but you know that you will be faced with multiple opportunities to smoke later in the evening when you meet up with your friends. Before arriving at the party you can visualize yourself having a great time without smoking, or maybe visualize your friends huddled together smoking outside in the freezing cold, hacking and coughing while you enjoy the party inside. If you visualize something enough it makes it easier to actually go through with it because you have already played it out in your mind several times and you can have a pretty good idea of what to expect. Visualization and imagery can be some of the very best motivational tactics you carry in your motivation arsenal while you are in the process of trying to get healthier.

YOU CAN BUY MOTIVATIONAL PRODUCTS

Cheesy motivational posters are readily available. Somebody has to find cheesy motivational products valuable because they are sold all over the place. If you are one of the people who tear up at a motivational poster then you're the kind of person these items are marketed towards. Look for posters, plaques, shirts, bookmarks, or any other item that can have a motivational saying plastered all over it. There are specialty stores that sell these types of items, but you can probably find the kind of things you're looking for at any bookstore or gift shop. If you have a religious preference you may be able to find motivational items with a religious slant on them at a gift store that specializes in religious gifts and items.

If you have always thought these types of items were particularly cheesy then don't bother trying to convince yourself that the poster of the soaring eagle will help you get through your workouts. If, on the other hand, these types of items have always motivated you at work, school, or some other setting then you can safely assume that they can help you in this endeavor as well. Check out the products offered locally and then if you can't find anything suitable then go online and see what you can find.

Buy clothes in a smaller size or tickets to a resort. Motivational products do not necessarily have to be items that are specifically designed to be motivating. If your goal to get healthier includes some weight loss maybe you should try buying a fantastic outfit that you just can't wait to wear…but buy it in a smaller size. Or maybe you can purchase tickets to a place that you intend on considering a reward for all your hard work, such as a cruise or resort or something similar, and then post the tickets somewhere that is visually accessible to you throughout the day. Tell yourself that the vacation is your reward, and that you want to be able to enjoy your vacation in the very best of health.

You may want to take it a step further and purchase tickets for a place that you would never normally go - maybe somewhere that involves a lot of physical activity or a place where bathing suits are the norm - and use this as motivation to get in the best shape possible before you head off on vacation. You may be surprised at how motivated you can get if you know you're going to have to run around in a bathing suit while on vacation.

Have you figured out what motivates you yet? If you have any hopes of being successful in your quest to achieve better health then you need to know what you can do to keep yourself motivated throughout the process. You can hear a million motivational suggestions, but until you figure out what is going to help you then it's probably in one ear and out the other.

On the next page we will discuss the Steps You Can Take Toward Better Health.