Maruchy Lachance is president of Running Ninja!, a lifestyle brand for runners by runners. Running Ninja! offers a wide variety of apparel and gifts for runners to keep you happy and inspired while you’re on the run.
It happens to the best of us: we lose our motivation. Some of us try to power through and never really fall into a slump, but if you are like me, you have to reach for something to pull you out and get back on track.
One of the tools I reach for when I start to feel like I might be slipping is visualization. I give myself permission to abandon reality and wander into some deep visualization. I use this tool all the time when I go to races. I dare to believe that I am a “champion” a “winner” and that I am equipped for whatever challenges lay ahead of me.
This useful motivational tool also works for me in my daily life when I simply envision myself as an athlete. I am already at my peak weight and performance and now all I have to do is maintain. Rather than give in to the thought that I am struggling to reach my goal, I empower myself with positive self-talk and visualization.
Visualization is a powerful weapon. It’s free and you can tailor it to meet your specific needs. I have a friend who introduced me to this method some years back. She had lost a considerable amount of weight and was carrying herself very confidently. After a while I felt comfortable asking her what she was doing differently this time, why she was getting results. She said she decided to see herself as already being at her ideal healthy weight and fitness level. The work was to live, eat and exercise like an athlete.
Her visualization made a potentially challenging process less difficult. It also removed the pressure to meet a certain weight by a deadline. There was no deadline. While in her logical mind she understood that she was working towards a specific goal, in her mind’s eye she was already there. She was just doing what came naturally for a healthy and fit person.
Motivation can come in a number of ways. Find the one that works for you, but visualization is yet another weapon in your battle against temptation.
For more inspiration from Maruchy Lachance check out:
How My Child Overcame a Weight Problem
When and What to Eat Before Exercise
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