Whether it comes from yourself, your friends, your family, social media, a famous fitness professional or personal trainer, we all need constant motivation when it comes to health and fitness.
It is so easy to stare at a computer screen all day reading those inspirational quotes, posting different ideas, sharing thoughts, re-tweeting and commenting without ever using what motivates you to spring into action.
When it comes to motivation, it's important to know how to draw on it to get something accomplished. Without being motivated to take action, you'll remain sedentary -- trapped in front of the computer.
Technology is great. It has taken my career to a level I would have never expected. But being in front of my computer at my desk takes little or no movement.
If that's where you find yourself too often, let's try to figure out how you are going to get moving, and when you can find the time to do it.
There are a lot of workout tips and healthy recipes I have shared, but I still think that you can go a step further. Your mind has to believe that your body can reach your goals, or it won't happen. Reaching those goals has to become a part of your life and a part of who you are.
Everyone has fitness or health goals in one form or another, as well as goals in many other aspects of their lives -- all require effort. It just so happens that good fitness and health is important for every person.
It is important for me to be surrounded in my everyday life by a constant flow of energy that is going to make me feel productive and accomplished each day. Even if it means crossing things off of my to-do list or creating an environment that makes me want to do better.
I spend a lot of time reading. There is always a lot of stuff that I underline or want to remember. Things I see every day. So I started ripping pieces of computer paper in random chunks and writing down Bible verses, quotes and sayings and sprinkling them like big confetti all over my desk.
Then I found a plain wood frame at a garage sale and hung it on a wall with the intent to put framed pictures inside it. But I decided instead to just pin all the quotes and verses inside the frame.
I look at them every single day. It's a motivational reminder to take a moment and appreciate what my purpose is for that day. If I go into my day unfocused and unplanned, I may not complete my workout. Then I don't feel I've accomplished much, and I don't feel productive.
A friend of mine, who has a lot of tattoos, advised me before choosing one (which I didn't do) to print out the image and put it in a few different places where I would see it all of the time: the bathroom mirror, car, wallet and bedroom door. If the image is something that I can look at for a few weeks to a month without getting sick of it, then perhaps I should consider it as a tattoo.
I was reminded of this story when I was putting the papers up on my wall. I immediately think of fitness and health. My new "inspiration frame" works by reminding me what's important and what I need to stay focused on.
If you want something to stick, it has to be livable, doable, maintainable, manageable, tolerable and -- for the most part -- in your face for the rest of your life.
It can't be a fad. It can't be a quick fix, and it can't be effective without your full mental and physical participation.
Lunden Souza, a Merced native, is a personal trainer, health and wellness coach and writer in Southern California. She can be reached at lifelikelunden@gmail.com.
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