May is a great time of year! Mother’s Day is in May, people make those corny, “It’s Gonna be May,” and “May the 4th Be With You” jokes all in one week, Memorial Day rounds out the month, which also means that outdoor pools open on the East Coast. It’s a great time to be alive!
For this month’s Thursday Throwdowns, we’re focusing on making May a Motivational May. This week, our theme is May Mantra, which means we’re talking about how we focus, or what we say to ourselves to push through something that may be challenging or difficult.
I’ve definitely had my share of struggles over the last several weeks, and I’ve had to tap into my “mantra bank” to make sure I stay focused. Work has been wicked busy, which means less time for blogging, and less energy for things like marathon training and volleyball. Nevertheless, I’ve made myself spend just a little bit of time focusing on blogging and fitness, and while it’s not nearly as much as usual, I haven’t given up!
I came thisclose to deciding against running my half marathon this upcoming Sunday. I really did. Sure, I came up with a whole host of reasons why I shouldn’t run it, but when I went over the list in my head, they just sounded like a bunch of excuses. And whining. Boy, do I hate when my internal dialogue is all whiny! So what do I tell myself when I start the excuse train?
Suck it up and do it!
I mean, seriously. You might be surprised how many times I tell myself this, especially when I’m running. You know when you and one of your friends decide to do something, but later you’re both waiting for the other one to cancel so you don’t have to do it? This mantra definitely comes in handy. My friend and I decided to sign up for this yoga class at the buttcrack of dawn (I DON’T KNOW WHY), and we were both being babies about it. We both woke up late and we both hoped the other wasn’t going to force us to go. But then, we decided to just suck it up and go for it. And, you know what? We really enjoyed it! It was a great start to the day!
The second mantra I’ve been using might sound a little weird, but this is my blog, so I’m just going to throw it out there! 😛
[Fill in the Blank], Reed!
The blank is usually, “you got this” or “come on,” but to answer your question, yes! I talk to myself to motivate myself! I honestly don’t know when I started doing this, but I think it might have coincided with when I first started to enjoy running. I often replay this mantra in my head when I start slowing down during a race or losing focus. It really works for me!
What works for you? Do you have a mantra? How do you get yourself to focus or concentrate when your mind starts to wander?
<div class=”flecks-of-lex-button” style=”width: 200px; margin: 0 auto;”>
<a href=”http://www.flecksoflex.com” rel=”nofollow”>
<img src=”https://gallery.mailchimp.com/96258fc4b1569e6b8ca0a89c9/images/7a8d8d5a-87d8-4f4b-acc3-13f91d97435e.jpg” alt=”Flecks of Lex” width=”200″ height=”200″ />
</a>
</div>
