Motivation, Fitting it All In, and Yoga Teacher Training


Photo Credit Suzi S.S., St Louis
I have seen lots of social media posts on Motivation, how to find it, how to keep it.  It is also a common challenge among my clients.  Honestly, I struggle with it too.  Life is busy, it is easy to get UNMOTIVATED and off track.  I am also at the National American College of Sports Medicine Meeting this week, surrounded by people who are motivated and passionate about physical activity and health.

  So Motivation is on my Mind.

So here are my thoughts, tips, tricks on Motivation, and how to Fit it All In.

1.  Surround yourself with people who are supportive.  I have been scheduling meetings all week with highly motivated, and BUSY, women.  We have pushed meetings back so one member could fit in her workout.  Decided to meet for dinner, not lunch, so we had time to squeeze in a noon workout.  If you don't feel supported by your friends, have you asked them for their help?  "I need you to help me succeed, can you help me to find the time to make X (activity, diet, . . .)?"  OR, which is my favorite - "Hey want to do X with me?"  Thanks to The Beatles we all "Get by with a little help from our friends."

2 Be Flexible:  I travel, a lot, for business and pleasure.  I will be outside of my own bed 15 days of 30 nights in June.  I use streaming videos to workout while I am on the move.  I can use them anywhere, and if I am swamped I can adjust the length of my workouts.  I have two that are focused on yoga that I love.  (Yoga Download & Gaia)  (Hint:  I usually have a mat with me, but a towel will work in a pinch.)

My First Yoga Club Box
3  Reward Yourself:  We live in a world that is busy and we are all struggling to FIT IT ALL IN.  So when you are successful, reward yourself.  If you are struggling, pick your reward up front, and put a picture of it in a place you see all the time.  (Hint- Screen saver on your phone.)  Guys, this works.  Here is my current reward - Yoga Club!

Posted in my Teacher Training Group
4.  Focus:  Although I am also doing a new Mindful Eating Program, my focus is YOGA.  (Can you tell?)  It is not easy to make huge changes at once.  By focusing on one thing at a time you can increase your chances of success.  So that way, when life gets busy, or overwhelming, you can focus on that 1 thing.  When that thing becomes second nature (like brushing your teeth), or you have more time, you can add to your focus.

So how does this all relate to my Yoga Teacher Training (YTT)?  As I have been able to focus on my Yoga, I am able to find people on the same path as I am (they motivate me).  When I struggle, they offer support, as does the fabulous group of clients in my accountability groups.  By committing to this program, I committed to finding time to fit it in.  Remember I have wanted to pursue my YTT for over 10 years, but it was never the right time, and I could not fit it into my schedule.  The simple act of committing to a long term desire has started to change my thinking.  (Hence Ganesh the Remover of Obstacles pictured above.)  It the process perfect?  No, at the end of the first month I am not as far along as I would like to be, HOWEVER, I have learned a lot, about Yoga and Myself, and I am seeing progress.  Until next time, Nameste.

PS  If you have ideas or comments on motivation or fitting it all in, post comments below.









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