The Official "I need some pants kicking" Motivational Thread

[cicero]

OK guys. I know that occasionally we each need a little motivation/kicking to get ourselves going. be it a diet, having *the talk* that we don't want to have, moving, packing for the move, going to the doctor for that annual whatever and so on - we all sometimes get a little stuck.

so this is your place to help others and ask for help yourself.

Me:
I need to get back on track with my diet and exercise. i was doing great (she said modestly) for almost 5 months. then i went to the US, was away for 12 days, still lost weight and exercised while away, and since i got back over a week ago, i'm STILL not back on track. I'm going through the motions, but still having trouble getting up in the AM (which means i've stopped or decreased my walks TO work plus i haven't done any aditional exercises like strength training/C25K since i got back), i've fallen back to the "eating too much at night" habit (not as bad as before, i can stop myself much sooner but i'm still not where i want to be).

so help me, please?

Be as tough as you want, i can take it

(ETA: this thread isn't just about diet/fitness. it's about anything that we need some help with)

[Cricket]

Hey cicero, I was reading in the "Silly things that have made you happy" thread about your recent experience with the airplane seat and how happy you felt that you were now less cramped. I was thinking, 23 pounds gone! Way to go, cicero!

I have about the same amount to lose as you, but I haven't even started. I have given up smoking, though. Two weeks without a puff. Whenever I think about having a smoke, I keep coming back to the first week and how hard it was and how I don't want to go through that again ... ever!

So, maybe that can help motivate you, too. Think about how uncomfortable it use to be in the airplane seat. Picture squishing yourself in that seat, spilling over the sides a little, apologising to the person seated next to you. And then vow, Never Again!

You can do it - you've already started your journey. You better get back on track because my diet starts tomorrow and heaven help you if I huff and puff my way round the block and see you strolling along! I may throw my hip out, but I will kick you out of your motivational rut (If I knew where you lived and what you looked like, that is, but still ...)

[cicero]

OK, OK. you scared me!!

(and i think i'm safe. i live in jerusalem, israel)

nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah....

[bopper]

Sometimes tell yourself "I am only going to do <activity> for 15 minutes"  (instead of the normal 45) gets you to say "well, i could do it for that long." and once you have gotten started then it is  easy to just continue on a bit.
I would start with the goal of just going through the motions, that is, reestablishing the habit. 

[Teenyweeny]

Whenever I'm tempted to sit on my behind, not exercising, I remind myself of 3 things:

a) It's only 30 mins. I try to remember how quickly that time flies when I'm arsing around on the internet.

b) I'll feel better if I do. Exercise improves my general mood a lot (I don't get the 'high' some people describe, but I get sluggish and crabby if I don't exercise).

c) After I'm finished, I can have a sandwich and relax, guilt-free!

[cwm]

I need to get my butt in gear and actually work on Christmas gifts. I'm only gifting four people, and I'm making something for one of them, but still...November is NaNo and I don't know that I'll have time, so it needs to get done NOW.

[cicero]

Thanks guys for all the B*tt kicking.

I. got. this.

I need to get my butt in gear and actually work on Christmas gifts. I'm only gifting four people, and I'm making something for one of them, but still...November is NaNo and I don't know that I'll have time, so it needs to get done NOW.

CWM - get on this now. no more excuses. make your lists, divide it into days and get going.

[Liliane]

I need motivation to do some translating.

I made the mistake of checking how many pages this chapter I'm working on is. It's 98 pages long, and even though I know perfectly well I'm capable of translating the entire thing, I keep thinking "98 pages? Nooooooo. That's too long. I don't want to do this." Even though I DO want to do it.

It also doesn't help that it's really not a happy chapter.

Can I have a bit of a butt-kick please?

[andi]

I need to get my house ready for Thanksgiving since we are hosting my hubby's family (10-15 people for dinner). That's CLEANING the whole thing, getting all the "donate"stuff out and decorate. Plus get Christmas started since we exchange gifs then.

[Liliane]

I need to get my house ready for Thanksgiving since we are hosting my hubby's family (10-15 people for dinner). That's CLEANING the whole thing, getting all the "donate"stuff out and decorate. Plus get Christmas started since we exchange gifs then.

Don't marathon the cleaning!

No, really. Do it in chunks. I like to use a method from a blog called "Unf*** Your Habitat" - the 20/10 (or if I'm feeling particularly well, 45/15) method. Basically, you clean for 20 (or 45) minutes, then take a break for 10 (or 15), rinse and repeat as needed. It helps prevent burnout from trying to clean everything as fast as possible and also makes it far less likely that you'll overwork yourself.

[andi]

Oh I know I can't marathon it - I need to set up a schedule of what to do each day. Now that I'm working full time things aren't as "open" as they used to be and my family forgets that.  Fortunately baseball ends next week so I get Saturday's and 2 evenings a week back

[Liliane]

Good luck with that! You can do it.

[cicero]

I need motivation to do some translating.

I made the mistake of checking how many pages this chapter I'm working on is. It's 98 pages long, and even though I know perfectly well I'm capable of translating the entire thing, I keep thinking "98 pages? Nooooooo. That's too long. I don't want to do this." Even though I DO want to do it.

It also doesn't help that it's really not a happy chapter.

Can I have a bit of a butt-kick please?

It's not 98 pages. It's ten pages . you can ten pages, right? After that, it's another ten, and another. You got this!!

[cicero]

I need to get my house ready for Thanksgiving since we are hosting my hubby's family (10-15 people for dinner). That's CLEANING the whole thing, getting all the "donate"stuff out and decorate. Plus get Christmas started since we exchange gifs then.

Don't marathon the cleaning!

No, really. Do it in chunks. I like to use a method from a blog called "Unf*** Your Habitat" - the 20/10 (or if I'm feeling particularly well, 45/15) method. Basically, you clean for 20 (or 45) minutes, then take a break for 10 (or 15), rinse and repeat as needed. It helps prevent burnout from trying to clean everything as fast as possible and also makes it far less likely that you'll overwork yourself.

Yes! Break it down. Oh, and you totally have my permission to stuff things in closets and under your bed...

[Liliane]

I need motivation to do some translating.

I made the mistake of checking how many pages this chapter I'm working on is. It's 98 pages long, and even though I know perfectly well I'm capable of translating the entire thing, I keep thinking "98 pages? Nooooooo. That's too long. I don't want to do this." Even though I DO want to do it.

It also doesn't help that it's really not a happy chapter.

Can I have a bit of a butt-kick please?

It's not 98 pages. It's ten pages . you can ten pages, right? After that, it's another ten, and another. You got this!!

I'm trying to break it up like that, but Japanese isn't the most friendly language for breaking up into manageable chunks. Just when I think I'm coming to a good place to take a break, I'll look at the end of the section and oops, there's a few symbols that carry over onto the next page, and if I've started a page I don't like leaving it unfinished, and...excuses, excuses. Haha...

The vote of confidence really does help though. Thank you! I'll get some sleep and get right back to it.