As
mentioned in the past two Emotional Weight Loss articles, the key to allowing
your emotions to flow freely on a day to day basis is to establish a system of Elimination, Expression and Excess.
In
this article I will be addressing the need to establish a system of Excess.
The most effective
way to establish a system of excess is to reward your self
each week with a well
earned day off.
Allow
your self one day off every week where you
can eat, drink and do whatever you like. This day off will act as a mental
reward for a job well done, which will continually fuel your motivation.
By taking a day off you will grant your body the time
for repair, growth and recuperation and your mind the opportunity to integrate
all of it’s new learnings.
It
is very important to be
excessive when it comes to looking after your self. Be
excessive with self
love because if you cant love yourself who can you love.
So, chill out, relax and have some fun. Go to the
movies, hang out at the beach or socialise with friends.
Having
a day off each week to reward your self and to fuel your motivation is
paramount to your success.
Motivation
is possibly the biggest determining factor when looking to create a life of EASE.
Your level of motivation can make or break your plans, especially if you are
not as intent on achieving your goals as when you first set them. That is why
it is so important to be clear on the underlying values and feelings of your
goals before you embark on achieving them. If they are very clear and you feel
100% committed to there achievement then nothing will get in your way of
success.
However,
there may be some periods of time where you feel a little flat and it is at
these times where you will need the support of both internal and external
motivation to keep you going.
When
it comes to achieving any task, the strategy you use should be simple and easy
to maintain to ensure the longest possible adherence to the activity
Whatever
you choose as a goal achievement strategy ensure it is not too rigid,
inflexible and that you have a number of options available.
If
you don’t feel like doing something one day, assess the reason why and if it is
valid then have a rest or perform an alternative strategy.
Motivation can be:
1) External = Rewards, prizes
and recognition
2) Internal = Challenge and
accomplishment
Motivation
is very important especially when you are about to embark on a program that
will transform your life.
When
learning any new skill, there are four stages that you will need motivation
for, they include;
1) The
Discomfort Stage
2) The
Results Stage
3) The
Pleasure Stage
4) The
Maintenance Stage
I
will use exercise as an example to demonstrate the stages of motivation;
The
Discomfort Stage
When you first undertake exercise, it seems like hard work.Your body usually tires quickly, you will
feel short of breath easily, and you will probably want to stop.Your muscles are often sore the next day, and
of course there is the need to find the time in your day to fit the workout in.
The
good news is, this stage doesn’t last forever. In most cases, 4-6 weeks are required before the next stage is
reached.The length of time depends on
your initial fitness level, your program, and your ability to train regularly.
During
this stage, motivation often needs to come from outside.A personal trainer, a life coach or a
structured program can be particularly helpful at this time.
The Results
Stage
During the results stage, the time and effort that you have put into
your exercise program begins to pay off. By this time, much of the discomfort of exercise is over, and you even
find yourself feeling good after the session.
More
importantly, you will feel the rewards of your effort – you will feel fitter,
you will begin to see changes in your body shape, and you may discover that you
have more energy.
Motivation
becomes much easier, as there are now established positive benefits to balance
the short term pain or inconvenience of exercise.
Some
external motivation is still helpful however, as it is easy in this stage to
skip a session and lose momentum.
The
Pleasure Stage
As the name suggests, during this stage your exercise program becomes a
pleasurable experience. The rewards mentioned above still occur, but the main
motivators now are psychological – a person in this stage wants to exercise.
When
you reach the pleasure stage, you will find that you don’t like to miss a
session.In fact, studies have shown
that regular, long-term exercisers show withdrawal symptoms if they miss a session.
Needless
to say, once you have reached this stage, motivation is not a problem.
Reward
yourself for your efforts.
The Maintenance Stage
Although you are well into your training routine and
things are going great, it is
important at this stage to maintain long term motivation.
If you continue to
perform the same program for too long you may become
bored or your physical
results may reach a plateau. It is important to add
variety to your workouts and
mix up your training sessions. Try a group class on one
day, a boxing session
the next. You do not need to vary your training too
dramatically but the change
can be valuable to provide you with an added stimulus to
spark further results
