Results are motivating. But you know what’s more motivating? Fun things. Silly things. Things that remind you of your childhood, and bring out the inner child that’s still there!
You need some stickers (or your own version of them).
That was my workout tracking system for September that just finished. I got a sticker every time I squatted heavy. That’s it. I tracked some other things, like overhead work and rest/massage, but I only got a sticker for the heavy squats. It’s not very detail-oriented, it’s missing a lot actually. But you know what, my training quality and consistency improved dramatically, and I’m already feeling stronger than I have been all year. Because of stickers. I still want that next sticker right now. I spend minutes fawning over which sticker I get to earn next. It’s working.
You need your own version of a sticker system. Feel free to adopt this one, but it might need a little tweaking. What’s that thing that you know is good for you, but difficult to do sometimes? That thing you actually enjoy doing once you start doing it, but you just need a little push to get started?
That’s what you should base it around. Then, ask yourself: what sort of small and silly-for-an-adult but personally meaningful reward can you tie that thing to? Like you get to wear your Sesame Street pajama pants to the grocery store. Sorry no food treats. But your childhood! — I know, sorry. Okay maybe a Divine Grape Kombucha, because I understand ;). Or maybe you can tie it to reading a favorite book, or watching an episode of a favorite show, or putting it on our PR board (*gasp*!). A new pair of silly socks! Just make sure it’s not something valuable ($), or something you will feel bad about if you don’t get it. If I don’t get a sticker one day I’ll have the tiniest of sadz. If I don’t get to go on my dream island vacation because of squats, now we have a problem.
Whatever it is, set the rules of the game, then set your intention to follow them like it’s the law. Of course, the reality is you could probably choose to have any of these small rewards at any time. But don’t. You want to have to earn it, because that process is the point.
“The highest reward for a man’s toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it.”
Mauricio Leal
Cypher Health & Fitness Owner
