What Motivates You?

What is that one thing that you just can't get out of your head? That one thing that when you wake up in the morning it just won't leave you alone?

For a lot of us we are very good a quieting that thing. We can block it out, rationalize it, and try to make ourselves find other ways to satisfy that one thing. For some people it might be a wearing a bikini that first summer day, or for some it might be receiving a second look when you walk past a group of guys, or is it to make all of the haters have to eat their words, or maybe you're a parent who is making sure you can run and play with your kids, or for some it may just be feeling better.

 For me, that one thing is competition. I LOVE it! I thrive on it! I have always had it in my life one way or another. Growing up it was competing at the horse shows, then in my career it was being at the top in sales. When I became a stay at home mom there was no one to compete with except for myself. I might be a little crazy for needing this, but it makes me work harder.

I love taking fitness classes at the gym. Each week I take at least 4 of them. I like having the instructor there to make me push myself, and help me with my form. I had a really good schedule going until the first of the year when my Gym totally redid their classes and switched to mostly Les Mills classes. I was bummed at first but now I love them!! I usually take the c/x works (core strengthening) class followed by a spin class on Monday, Yoga followed with 30 min on the elliptical and some weights on Tuesday, Bodypump on Wednesday, Yoga or Spin on Thursday, and BodyFlow with more elliptical fun on Friday. I will usually run after yoga and then do a little work with weights after. But this is where the competitiveness that I thrive on can become an issue.

You know how they always give different options for different levels in these classes. Yeah, I have a problem where I HAVE to try the hardest one. This goes for all of the classes with the exception of yoga...there are just somethings I don't think my body will ever be able to do. This is one of them...http://www.mizozo.com/health/07/2011/01/most-powerful-yoga-poses.html

Today this issue became very apparent. I was taking a BodyPump class and this was only the second time I had taken it, and the first with this instructor. I was next to an older woman who is always at the gym the same time I am. Her age is not a factor, this lady is super fit! On the other side of me was a girl a little older than me, but you could tell she was an athlete. Behind me was a less disgusting John Gossling looking dude with huge arms! This was going to be fun I thought, I am going to really push myself. Usually I try to be next to the most experienced person in the class so I will really have to work. Well, bodypump is not the place for this theory. I was dying. Arms shaking, legs quivering about 20 min into the hour long class.

I learned today that while being competitive is a good thing, I need to be more competitive with myself than with the people in the class next to me. Will I begin to practice this? Probably not. But in the morning when my muscles are screaming, I will wish I had!

For more information on the Les Mills classes that I talked about in this blog go to http://www.lesmills.com/


Please let me know what motivates you!