How to stay motivated against all odds....

I posted this in my P90X challenge group but because the concepts discussed hold true for ANY fitness program you are following, even if it's one you made up yourself, I wanted to share it with all of you too:

t's easy to think of valid and legitimate reasons NOT to do P90X on any given day. We get sick and tired, overwhelmed, discouraged, overworked, and stressed out, and we travel too much and under-sleep, and well, the list goes on. So what do we do about it? QUIT! Some of us do. What about the people who don't quit? What the hell makes them so special? Why are some folks successful and others aren't? The answer is that the successful, committed, and motivated people have tricks. They've found a way to do it anyway. Here's my list that will help keep you motivated:

1. Stop beating yourself up if you miss a workout! It's OK to miss a workout once in a while. It doesn't mean the whole thing has gone to hell in a handbasket. Life happens . . . Priorities shifted that day. So what? Start where you left off. No big deal.

2. Don't freak out if you don't see results in the first 30 to 50 days. What, no results in the first month and a half? See, I knew you'd freak out. The point I'm trying to make here is that we all have a different starting point. Some will see results the first week. Based on age, body weight, how out of shape they were when they started, flexibility, athletic background, etc., others will have to wait a little longer. P90X means 90 days, not 90 minutes.

3. On your most exhausting, overwhelming, lackluster days, stick the DVD in the player and see what happens. Be fully committed to having a lousy workout. You must be OK with the fact you will be weak and puny and rotten at it. Any workout, no matter how bad it is, is always better than NO workout at all. You just can't feel bad after a workout. Ever! If you've got good energy and you do the best you can, you'll have a great workout. If your energy and motivation are in the toilet and you do it anyway (even poorly), you've had a great workout!

4. Buy a calendar and a big, fat red marker. P90X has everything you'll need to rock your world. But for those of you who are having trouble with motivation, I want you to place this calendar where you see it all the time—on the front door, bathroom mirror, or refrigerator, or next to the TV, etc. For every day you do P90X, write a big, fat red X. You might also want to write down if it was a Sculpt or Cardio day. I still do this after 20 plus years of training. X means I showed up. No X means I didn't show up.

5. I want you to write this on your calendar: THE JOY OF DISCIPLINE OR THE PAIN OF REGRET, WHICH WILL IT BE TODAY? Well, I hope that keeps the fire burning. We have this powerful temple called the human body. If we treat it right, the world is our playground.

Power on!

Tony Horton

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I'd love to hear what you do to keep yourself motivated!