The Little Devil
I'm not clinically insane (hopefully) but I do have voices in my head. These voices belong to everyone from my parents to that guy on TV who's always telling me that I can lose weight in just minutes a day. My most prominent voice is The Little Devil. If you've ever had an argument with yourself like this, you may have a Little Devil too:
You: Time to workout!
Little Devil: Uh, I don't really feel like it. I'm tired.
You: Come on...we already missed our workout yesterday.
LD: Two days? Big deal!
You: But every time we skip a workout, it gets easier not to exercise.
LD: I'm tired. The last thing I want to do is some boring, sweaty workout.
You: Tired from what? Sitting in front of a computer all day?
LD: Hey, our favorite show is on...don't you want to watch it?
You: Well...I guess we COULD watch TV and then workout...
LD: That's what I'm talking about!
Next thing you know, you're propped on the couch with a cramp in your hand from channel surfing. How did that happen?
Getting Rid of the Little Devil
- Stop the argument. For every excuse the little devil devises, reply, "I'm working out anyway." Better yet, just say, "I'm not listening! La la la la!"
- Remind yourself of the facts. You're not physically tired (unless you have a physical job), you're mentally tired. The best cure for that is physical activity
- Be prepared. Having your workout gear handy and your exercise time scheduled can be a big help in dealing with The Little Devil.
- Never go home. Going home before your workout will almost always lead to skipping exercise.
Now, you've dealt with the voices in your head. Time to figure out how to be enthusiastic about exercise (really, it's possible).
Next page > Being Motivated Page 1, 2, 3
