I love me an inspirational quote. Soooo today kicks off the first of a series I call "Monday Mantras." Basically, I want to start each week with a mantra or quote, or just a random motivational thought. If you're like me, Monday is definitely the day of the week where you could use a little extra motivation!
The "Monday Mantra" posts may or may not be connected to an anecdote from my life. Today's mantra: BE CONSISTENT. Context: my weight loss journey...
As I sit here, fresh off a week-long vacation full of swimming, tanning, and general laying around, the LAST thing I want to do is go to the gym -___-. I've spent the majority of the day sitting at my desk, rationalizing to myself why I don't need to workout today. My internal dialogue:
A: "Girl, you were sooooo good at lunch today! Look at chuuu, eating just that baked chicken and that water!" *praise dance*
B: "...and those chips..."
A: "Yeah, but it balances out, I'm pretty sure."
It's days like this that are the most difficult to find work out motivation. Sometimes, my dreams of having a body like Beyoncé trump my desire not to go to the gym. More often than not, however, it is my love of staying in bed and not sweating out my edges that emerges victorious.
Just when I had practically convinced myself that it was okay to skip the day's workout, I came across these two quotes:
* "If you want to control the direction of your life, you must consistently make good decisions. It's not what you do once in a while that has an impact on the direction of your life--it's what you do consistently. Make decisions today about how you are going to live in the years to come. For your decisions to really make a difference in your life, it's imperative to decide what results you're committed to--and know specifically how these results will transform your life. It's equally critical to decide what kind of person you're committed to becoming. Get clear about what you want to be, do and have, and what your life will be like after you accomplish this. With that clarity, you'll find it becomes easier to make the kinds of decisions that will move you in the direction you desire." --Anthony Robbins
* "Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated failures. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent." --Calvin Coolidge
These quotes were so perfect; it's like the universe might as well have just b*tch-slapped me with my running shoes. In all seriousness, the words in both of these quotes really resonated with me. I have to accept the fact that I'm probably not going to wake up everyday and magically want to skip off to the gym. I'm probably not going to suddenly hate all of my favorite foods. BUT, I'm also not going to wake up slimmer or healthier. These quotes have reminded me that I need to train my MIND just as much as my body. I can't focus on the hour or so of "OH MA GAWDDD, I hate life. What evil person invented the treadmill?!?!" Instead, I have to focus on the end goals: increased health, self esteem, and all around sexiness, of course. It'll get easier, but only if I stick with it. That means that TODAY is workout day, not tomorrow or the next day.
Though I've chosen to relate these quotes to my weight loss journey, they clearly speak to so much more than that. Persistence and consistency are the key to achieving anything we want out of life. Continuing to go to the gym even when the pounds aren't dropping off. Continuing to submit job applications even when the offers aren't rolling in. If you work your hardest toward something, you might not get it. But if you don't put in anything at all, you'll damn sure be coming back empty-handed.
Remember your reasons and keep going! <3
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