Motivate Me

The best part about this post is that I was totally motivated to write it at the time I made the Twitter comment. Then it faded into nothing and I got distracted with work and dogs and ducks and a bunny… ADHD was on display, folks. And it was shining.

It’s been a long time since I’ve updated this site and it’s overdue. You might say that I wasn’t particularly motivated. But recently I’ve been seeing more and more crap from the fitness world that I hate, so I’m back on my B.S. and I guess you can add “petty grievance” to the list of motivators.

I came back to the Twitter post and it just wasn’t there. That drive to put ink to paper or, well, pixels to a blank screen… That doesn’t even sound enjoyable. But that really is the crux of the this entry, isn’t it? How do you get motivated to do the thing?

Well, it depends on what the current thing is, but let’s stick to the theme of the website: health and fitness. And Star Wars, of course. I’m going to start with running through what my typical day looks like and how I manage to get things done, because one comment that I hear all the time is, “how do you get all that into one day? The chances are 1,346,352… to one.”

Never tell me the odds. 

5:30am: Yes. Gross. Disgusting. Tragic, even. But the reality is this is when mother nature tells our dogs that it’s time, and I’ve got a tiny bladder. So out of bed with the dog or the alarm and the real trick is to stay out of bed. Don’t hit snooze. Don’t climb back in–that’s sabotage. 10/10 if you go back to bed you’ll wake up more tired and groggy than you were in the first place. 

While I’m outside with the dogs, it’s the same time the ducks are up and quacking away. They need fresh water, food and a snack. Some lettuce, or leftover scrap veggies do the trick so a hot minute in the kitchen happens, too. 

Duck duty takes about 20 minutes, all in. Maybe a bit of hay to scoop up and replace, maybe it’s a scene from Hoth. Back inside, and feed the dogs their breakfast. You’re up, they’re up and they want food. By the time this is done, it’s usually between 6:00am and 6:30am. Gillian is usually up by now to take care of the bunny, but if not, I’m a happy alternative. 

6:30am - 6:45am: Gillian actually does a cardio workout. Steady-state, Peloton ride – sometimes it’s HIIT. Not my deal. I’m making my breakfast, prepping my lunch and snacks for the day and getting in the shower. 

7:30am: The boy is up and by 8:00am we’re out the door on the way to school and then to the office. 

I eat breakfast in the office and my work day usually flies by because it’s hectic or I’m running around the city from meeting to meeting. Gillian starts work around 8:30am or 9:00am, but is in meetings until 5:00 or 6:00pm, almost daily… Again, gross. 

4:30pm: this is usually when I get home with the boy unless he’s got something going on at school. If that’s the case I stick around in the office a little longer. But this is where the fun starts because the evenings are packed. I’ve got a workout, dogs, dinner, ducks and cardio to fit in before it’s time for bed. 

Workout: it’s either a weight workout or I’m running with the dogs. Dog runs are about four miles and then a mile with old Huey (he can’t really run, so he’s my cool-down dog), and weights are about 45 minutes or so. Weight days have thirty minutes on the ol’ hamster wheel, too. 

Full disclosure: bedtime around here is embarrassingly early and usually doesn’t happen later than 9:30pm or 10:00pm. I’m ugly and need my beauty sleep. Then we rinse and repeat.

One key to this entire mess of a day is that I’ve come to appreciate the instant gratification of doing things and not putting them off. From dishes before they get crusty, to squats and deadlifts that I’m not in the mood for. I get the dishes done right away because a clean and tidy kitchen leaves nothing to feel anxious about. When I get my workout done, I feel great and that’s worth doing the work. If I don’t do the workout, I don’t get that great feeling. 

I set myself up for success and that’s something I’ve been trying to teach our kids. Don’t screw over “Future You”. Set them up for success so they appreciate “Current You”, which will become “Past You”, I suppose… MARTY!! We have to go BACK…

And let’s be honest about it. All the horse shit you hear health and fitness people go on about feeling good and energetic and blah, blah, BARF… it’s painfully true. When I hold myself accountable, set myself up for success and follow through on the things I’ve got going on… I feel awesome. I’ve got energy to spare. 

We still go out and socialize with our friends here and there and we aren’t really missing out on anything because we still do the things we love to do. That’s the motivation, too. I want to keep playing soccer, riding my bike, running with my dogs and quacking with the ducks. If I want to do that, I have to stay on track. 

So really truly, there’s no big secret to motivation. It’s almost purely selfish. You do the thing because it’s going to make you feel good. You do it for yourself. Even if that thing is sitting on the couch and rewatching Rogue One. So go ahead. Treat yo’self.