Blog 3

Motivation is something we all desire and motivation is what starts us working on new goals. Though the reality is, motivation will be high when we first commit to our goals but it is not part of our nature to stay motivated full time. The universe is always in balance which means you cannot have the highs without the lows and motivation without being unmotivated at times. However, it is how you control your emotions and thoughts when motivation first starts to dwindle that makes all the difference in how you continue on wards.

For my recent photo shoot I ran a calorie deficit in my diet and trained extremely hard- I had a real purpose and a goal to work towards with my nutrition and fitness. Normally my nutrition and fitness focus is around maintaining my weight and staying vibrant by eating quality nutrient dense foods and training because I love it and of course I enjoy feeling fit, strong and healthy. To me, eating well and strength training maintains my radiance and glow and I know it does to a degree, slow down the aging process.

The first 4 weeks of my new diet and training protocol were great- motivation was high, I was excited, I hadn’t had a big goal for my body in years and it was great watching muscles start to pop, the leaner I become. However, at the end of week four my two year old daughter Miami experienced two molars breaking through her poor little gums…. Oh, the screaming through the night, the waking up every hour, the inability to sleep. It kept us all up throughout the night for almost a week.

I know as parents you get this- you have been up with them for the 3^rd time, it’s now 2 am and they have once again settled. You get back into bed exhausted willing yourself to sleep (because hell, the alarm is going to go off in 4 hours) and you finally start to drift off into that nice restful sleep when BAM!, the screaming starts. Oh my god, the pain of it!

This was where my motivation truly started to wane. When my alarm went off at 6 am I literally spent 5 minutes debating with myself whether to get up and go to the gym or sleep longer. I felt like I had not slept at all.

When sleep deprivation strikes even huge goals will take a back seat to acquiring sleep. So, how did I conquer it? I would ask myself “how will I feel later in day knowing that I have not stuck to the commitment I made for myself and my goal?” My answer: disappointed in myself, potentially even more tired and then behind in what I am trying to achieve with this.

Then I’d ask myself, “How will I feel if I do commit and go to the gym?” My answer: mentally and emotionally strong, proud of my commitment to follow through against all odds and exactly where I need to be in this process. And that’s what would get me up and to the gym and what followed was a highly successful day knowing I am stronger than I think at times!

So mum’s, I get it. Being a mum is the most self-sacrificing job in the world. It can be easier to put your own goals on hold so that you can just get through another the day but remember when you do this regularly a pattern starts to form and then a habit begins, where you put your goals and dreams aside for the sake of every one else’s needs.

When you do this over a long period of time you may start to notice that others take advantage of this you will start to resent the fact that you do everything for everyone else and nothing for yourself. This may be described as an inner unhappiness even when everything appears to be going well.

So understand this- your goals, your hobbies and your interests are the foundation of you leading a fulfilling personal life and ultimately you teach people how to treat you. If you value your worth then follow through on your goals and commitments to yourself and remember that what we teach people through our actions is far more valuable than our words.

And so, one day I will show my daughter the photos from my shoot and tell her how hard she screamed at me night after night and that I still got up at 6 am in pursuit of my goal because I valued myself enough not to give up.

 

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Dayni xxx