Babbling About Intentions and Getting Myself Motivated

I've had this problem recently, actually I seem to have this problem a lot, where I want to write about certain things and have all the good intentions to do so and then I just don't end up doing it. In no way do I feel alone with problem for I think it is a common hardship in any person's life, figuring out how to maneuver your way from intention to action. In some ways I believe people often try, myself included, to reduce their guilt of not acting by convincing themselves that they had the full intention of doing so. One thing I have always been horrible with is writing Thank You cards. I always start out with the intention to write Thank You notes to friends or family but then a month, or two months, or a year passes, and I realize I never actually got around to sending one... but I was going to and I try to convince myself that matters.

As much as we try to console ourselves with the notion that intention and action are close to the same thing there is actually a wide gap between the two. This gap isn't always hard to jump, for instance, your desire and intention to get food during the day is often fulfilled by actions we take to feed ourselves, but the gap can widen by time and/or the access to other, more easily fulfilled desires. One example would be when your desire for comfort is stronger than your desire to relieve your bladder during the night. It's that horrible moment when you wake up and you're still so nice and warm and comfortable in your bed, but you can't go back to sleep because you just really have to go the bathroom. Of course with this example you have to eventually get up and go to the bathroom or else there will be harmful physiological damage or, and way more likely, you'll wet the bed. On the other hand, with an action that does not have to be performed in order for you to live, the intention can stay an intention as long as you can get away with it.

That brings us to the real problem with motivation to perform actions that don't actually have any foreseeable consequences. When you don't write a blog post that you're sure only you are reading, it doesn't make a difference to anyone else. When you don't end up painting or drawing a picture that you had the intention of doing last week entirely for your own desire, then there are really no consequences to not acting upon that intention. If you don't read that book or watch that movie you always said you wanted to, there's no grade deduction or slap on the wrist. When relying solely on intrinsic motivation, we often let other obstacles or time get the better of us.

Many of my psychology classes were dedicated, at least in part, to a way to change our intentions into our actions. Often this was done by adding extrinsic motivators, such as food or money. Since I don't need any more relationship problems with food I decided to use money. As previously mentioned I have lots of ideas to write about, but rarely end up writing on this blog. I'm going to start giving myself rewards for every blog entry I make, and since I also have a problem with buying too many books, one entry will be worth $1 towards buying a new book. This will be the only contingency for now and if I need to add more later I will. I am also considering using this method of positive or negative reinforcers in other aspects of my life, but I want to wait and see how this one goes.

This was definitely not what I was planning on writing about today but it just happened. I guess sometimes you get onto an idea and just run with it. I'll keep you guys updated on my progress and any changes I make. Getting yourself motivated can be a real problem and there's no shame in looking for a way to help yourself increase productivity (in a healthy way). Making small changes and taking things one step at a time has often shown the best results.

I'd love to hear of any tips or tricks people have or are currently using to help themselves become more motivated or productive in their lives.

-S

Bike Trip Motivational Thoughts

I told you guys I would post this... even though it's been a few weeks.

1. Biking 5 or 6 hours a day left a lot of room for thought. My dad would always say: it's more of a mental battle than a physical one.

2. I've mentioned it before but there's one motivational quote that I use to get me through every challenge in life. It's the last two lines from the poem Invictus: I am the master of my fate. I am the captain of my soul. To me this just means that I can do anything I set my mind to. I won't let anything stop me from achieving what I want to achieve. For a while I would just repeat this in my head over and over again, but then I started trying to remember the whole poem (which took a lot of thought and kept me distracted when I wanted to be).

3. The next motivational thing is the poem Pioneers! O Pioneers! by Walt Whitman. I sort of discovered and fell in love with this poem when it was on the Levi's commercial. I tried to remember and repeat the first few stanzas of this poem too. Eventually I had to look it up one night because I knew something was off and I couldn't seem to remember the end of the second/beginning of the third stanza. I had tried to memorize the poem in the past so I knew a little of it, but the poem is kind of long and I was never actually successful in memorizing the whole thing. The second stanza was really the part I kept repeating in my head as a sort of battle cry.
"For we cannot tarry here,
We must march my darlings, we must bear the brunt of danger,
We the youthful sinewy races, all the rest on us depend, Pioneers! O pioneers!"

Of course everyone didn't depend on us to finish the bike ride but you get my drift... it was motivational.

4. Encouragements from the crowd. I was a little worried that I'd get really bored without any music to listen to, but for the most part we kept each other company. Since a lot of the roads we were on were pretty empty, we were able to ride side by side and talk. This made things seem to go by a bit faster.

5. When we rode on busy highways and had to ride behind one another my main motivation was to get off that road as quickly as possible. My dad always laughed when I would ride 15 mph all of the sudden instead of the steady 11 or 12 I was at for most of the trip (yeah I know I'm slow).

6. On the last day we started getting bored and tired and my dad began singing "99 bottles of beer on the wall." It went on for a bit too long so in my head (and eventually out loud) I started singing Stu's Song from the Hangover. Yup desperate times call for desperate measures and this was the first thing that popped up in my head (I have no idea why).

Olympics, Summer School, and Insanity

I've been kind of MIA in blog world lately but it's been for good reasons. I had two more exams this week for my summer classes (which by the way are even harder to study for when the Olympics are on.) My Survey of Behavior Analysis Research class has proven to be a test, and after huge doubt in my ability to pass the class, I managed to pull off a B on my 3rd exam on Wednesday! I don't think I've ever been so happy for a B before. Two more weeks to go and I'll be done with classes and getting to head home for a bit. Three weeks or so until the big bike trip (more about that later). About Four weeks before Fall classes begin... time flies!

This past week was full of fun roommate moments. In a few weeks my roommate Amanda is moving into a two bedroom in the same apartment complex and my roommate Nikki is moving to East Lansing. I'm gonna miss having these girls so close, but Amanda and I already have study dates and Insanity nights planned. The three of us started the Insanity workouts almost two weeks ago now. After experiencing the pain of Insanity last summer (and the payoffs) I was nervous but excited to get back into the routine and try to finally finish all 63 days of the workout. I'll have to take a few days for long bike rides and ultimately the bike trip but they'll be totally worth it.

The Insanity Countdown Calendar. Almost two weeks down! Jeah!

Lastly a few words (and pictures) about the Olympics. From gymnastics, to beach volleyball, to diving, to swimming I love the summer Olympics! It's always exciting to watch people's dreams come true and to band together as a country. For me, swimming is probably my favorite event. Lochte, Phelps, Berens, Adrian, Soni, Franklin... I could keep going because the whole USA team this year is awesome!

Jones, Adrian, Lochte, and Hansen

It's no question Ryan is my favorite

Nathan Adrian is like a hot teddy bear. He's just adorable. And that smile!

I think I might be heading to Dunham's this weekend to purchase a one piece swim suite in order to start working out in the pool. My roommate used to be a swimmer and I'm hoping she can teach me a few moves and we can push each other even harder. I just keep imagining what my body will look like after all this Insanity, biking, and swimming. Rock hard hopefully. 

Gonna get my Missy on!!!!!!

This Will Hurt

A few things:

• I had to come up with a behavior to modify for a Health Psych project so I chose exercise. I set a goal of 3 days a week (T/F/Sun) for at least 30 minutes for the first 2 weeks, and 4 days a week (T/Th/F/Sun) for at least 30 minutes for the second 2 weeks. For each week I make my goal, I get to buy a song on iTunes.
• Since today is Sunday, I needed to workout. The unfortunate thing being St. Patty's Day was yesterday, which left my body a little less apt to workout... but I did it anyway. 
• My dad called tonight to remind me to get spinning because after some research he discovered it's about 320 miles from Kalamazoo to Normal, IL. So what we thought was going to be a two maybe three day ride is now a four day ride... 80 miles each. That really will hurt, even after training I'm thinking.
• I will train train train train train!
• This is just a warm up for my across the US ride one day.
• Why do I insist on dreaming so big again?

Ben (from Ben Does Life) is so inspiring! One of the best answers to a tough motivational question I've seen.

"Fitblr" Favorites

I woke up early for another morning jog. This time I went 3.1 miles and finished in an hour. I figured it took me an extra 15 minutes or so to wait at all the lights and go in and talk to my mom, so it was probably more like 45 minutes of actual run/walking. I wish I was faster. Right now I'm just trying to work up to a straight mile again before I work on speed, but I get so discouraged when people can basically walk faster than I can jog it.

One of the reasons I've started to work out and get motivated again is from reading two blogs that really have inspired me lately: One Twenty Five and Ben Does Life. I had heard of Ben Does Life here and there in fitness blogs that I've read over the past year or so. He's made local, national, as well as international news. Ben made headlines after making an incredibly inspirational Youtube video called "My 120 pound journey"(I cry every time). I'd definitely recommend checking it out, because you pretty much can't not get up and get exercising after you watch it. If he could run at 358 pounds (at a faster pace than me nonetheless), then you really can't make any excuses for yourself. Since Ben started he's run 5ks, 10ks, marathons, and even two Ironmans. His blog is pretty amazing! I've laughed, I've cried, and I've gotten jealous of the way he does life.

Liz at 125 is this Canadian bad ass, who recently announced she's skipping over to Europe to travel and climb Mount Everest! Seriously, I think she's super cool and just want her life. She used to be 200 pounds and then a few years ago (around the same time as Ben, started the blog to keep her accountable. Her goal weight is 125 and she's already down 50 pounds.

So I guess in a way, I owe Ben, and Liz, for getting me back out there, getting one step closer to my goals every day.

What are you waiting for? Go out and DO LIFE.

Love and Peace,
S

PS. I totally agree with Liz in that I hate the word fitblr.

Motivational Quotes :)

The other day I decided my motivational quote for life needs to become my motivational quote for running. 

When I am challenged by a certain task, I feel like there's too much on my plate, or I just want to give up, I always repeat the lines:

"I am the master of my fate

I am the captain of my soul"

from the poem "Invictus" by William Ernest Henley

The poem was first introduced to me by my brother, Taylor, a few years ago. Him and his friends named their Ultimate Frisbee team Invictus and had the poem on the back of their shirts. Those lines have always inspired me to keep going, keep pushing, keep trying, which I think could really help me out with running. I even made a sign for myself with the quote and the words "Chicago Marathon 2011" on it. Hopefully it will be the push I need. Which reminds me that I still need to see the movie!


The whole poem goes like this:

Invictus Out of the night that covers me, Black as the Pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds, and shall find, me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll. I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul. William Ernest Henley