People that have issues with accountability in the past how did you fix that?

tmoneyag99
tmoneyag99 Posts: 480 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The reason why I ask is that My personality is such that I am externally motivated. ie I have a hard time doing things for myself. I tend to do things because someone else needs me to do them.

I Cook healthy dinners for my family. But don't actually eat all that healthy for myself.
I meet my deadlines for work.
I make all the social events for friends.
I volunteer for my community and step in when someone is needed.

I tried the "accountability buddy" thing on here and frankly it doesn't really pan out. All the at-a-boys don't really work for me.

I am really struggling with this. So I would love to hear from others that have also struggled with this.

Replies

  • MT1134
    MT1134 Posts: 173 Member
    Don't get me wrong, what follows is something that's easier said than done but once put into practice, it becomes autonomic rather than a decision that's made under duress.

    1)Find your "why"
    *Why do you do what you do? Understanding that will help you to make choices that are more about the goal (and less about what you want (or don't want) in that moment.

    2)Make sure that your "why" is bigger than you i.e. your family.
    *You have now created a model of thought and actions that serve a higher purpose. From your post it appears you are a giver and live to serve others so this shouldn't be a hard transition of thought for you anyway.

    3)Be logical
    *Not everyday is going to be a grand slam or even a home run but a great way of overcoming obstacles is good old fashioned planning. Look ahead and see what lays ahead and have 1,000 different ways of conquering those obstacles. Don't let it get in the way.

    4)Eating frogs and elephants
    *How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
    How do you eat a plate of frogs? Big ones first.
    Learn to prioritize and execute. Some days are elephant marathons and others are a plate of frogs.

    5)Feed your "why"
    *Every step you take either feeds your "why" or takes from it. It's logical to realize a happier, healthier, stronger you is a better option for feeding your "why". It's discipline not motivation.
  • ALZ14
    ALZ14 Posts: 202 Member
    I bought myself an Apple Watch for motivation and 3 months in it has worked beyond my wildest dreams.

    I went from 3,000 ish steps a day and 196 pounds to 10,000+ a day and 173 pounds since June 1st. Trying to close my rings every day, the different activity goals and the custom monthly goals keep me motivated to be more active. Sure I’m only doing it for myself, but these are things I wouldn’t be doing if the watch didn’t challenge me to do it.

    Last month my challenge was 162 miles of walking or running, which was 5 miles a day. I hit that with 3 days to spare because I kept doing longer walks and sometimes second walks in a day to make sure I stayed on track. This month my challenge is 2,000 minutes of activity, which is 66 minutes a day. This one is going more challenging but I’m chipping away at it already.

  • Dogmom1978
    Dogmom1978 Posts: 1,580 Member
    My husband said I won’t stick with it.

    I have a large desire to prove him wrong. Also, I am noticing the difference which helps motivate me more. For example, at first I lost weight in my chest which was upsetting (the ONLY place I wanted to keep some fat was the first place to go), but then I lost some weight in my butt and my butt was HUGE, so that made me happy.

    I just try to focus on changes I’ve seen, how I feel, etc to help keep me going. It’s going to be different for each person. You need to find the thing that really helps keep you going.
  • durhammfp
    durhammfp Posts: 494 Member
    Watching my dad die with dementia and diabetes. Both run pretty strongly in my family, and though there are genetic factors (probably) at play, it is also true that there are life choices I can make now that will influence my future health.

    Realizing no one can help the future me as much as the present me really was a wake up call.

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