Posts In: motivation

by Laura McCorry

How are you doing with your New Year’s Resolutions? If you’re breezing through them, chances are you didn’t aim high enough and if you’ve already stumbled, it’s okay. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and begin again.

Motivation isn’t a delicate butterfly on a clear spring day that either rests on your shoulder or flits away out of reach. Motivation is a skill and like every other skill, it’s something you can practice and improve upon. Here are some tips to increase motivation and productivity, maybe one will give you the extra oomph you need to meet your goals:

• Honestly assess your goals to make sure they’re challenging but not unrealistic.
• Write down concrete steps along the way to achieving your goal rather than vague aspirations. For example, walk the dog four times a week, eat a new vegetable weekly, do yoga for at least 10 minutes a day.
• Make a list (not too long) and cross off items as you accomplish them.
• Pick an activity and a corresponding reward for the end of the day so you can increase your stamina for delayed gratification
• Choose rewards that support your well-being and are in line with your goals (make plans to see a friend or indulge in a leisure activity you enjoy but for which you don’t usually make time.)
• Tell a friend about your goals. Have them call you at a certain time and ask if you were successful that day/week/month.
• Set a timer and see what you can accomplish before it goes off (try the pomodoro technique for increased productivity.)
• Limit distractions. Put your phone down in another room. Block your internet. Hire a babysitter for an hour. Whatever you need to do to work on a goal with focus. 
• Keep a journal and reflect on everything you accomplished that day, you’ll feel productive and be more inspired to pursue your goals. 
• Give yourself a pep talk in the mirror!
• If you miss a day, call it a day off and let it go. Get right back to your goals the next day.
• Encourage someone else to keep striving towards their goals.
• When the going gets tough, take a two minute break to dance wildly in your kitchen.
• Practice gratitude daily. When you write down or say out loud specific things in your life for which you’re grateful, you increase your overall level of gratitude and happiness.
• Have compassion for yourself if you don’t make your goal. Tomorrow is a new day, take a deep breath and begin again.
• Celebrate when you reach a milestone (a goal that takes less than a year but longer than two weeks to accomplish)

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Laura McCorry
Contributing Writer

Yoga and Laura had an on-again-off-again relationship from 2004 until 2009 when they decided to move in together and there’s been no looking back since. Passionate about both yoga and writing, Laura loves to introduce others to the joys and benefits of yoga and healthy living.

Contact: laura@yogaonesandiego.com

by Olivia Cecchettini

Recently my mom gave me a stack of O Magazines she had finished reading. They sat in a pile on my floor until one day I picked them up and started flipping through them for inspiration. Oprah interviewed some of the world’s most powerful and influential women, yet I noticed that they all admitted to a common struggle: not owning their own strength and accomplishments.

Women who were doing great, important work in the world were shying away from praise and recognition by choosing to remain small. Worried about how they would be received. Feeling embarrassed. Or afraid of shouting their voice into the world.

I used to be like that. In college, I changed majors from Communications to Psychology because I was scared to give a speech in front of my class. The feeling of getting up in front of people made me tremble inside. I was literally sweating, nervous with stomach ache – I just couldn’t do it.

I thought maybe I wouldn’t have to face that particular fear of mine, but life keeps bringing you the same lesson until you face it head on. If I wanted to become a yoga teacher (and I very much wanted to share my love of yoga!), I needed to be able to speak in front of a group of people.

Everything that makes life worth living happens outside the comfortable little space you’ve carved out for yourself, so I chose to step outside.

I was terrified during the first “practice” yoga class I taught. As I practiced more and taught more classes, I came to see that yoga is about co-creation. Knowing I wasn’t alone, that everyone present contributes their own energy, brought me peace. It was incredibly hard to allow myself to be seen, but I believe it’s the only way to show my authentic self and create connection.

There are many messages the world sends out every day. Messages designed to put us in our place, to make us feel less than capable, or to silence our voices. Those challenges are real, but I also know that we all have a little whisper of guidance inside. As we open our bodies, minds and hearts through yoga, the connection to that whisper is strengthened. We begin to strengthen the muscle of confidence and trust within as well.

What challenges are facing you this new year? My hope is that whatever they are, you look for the lesson, a way forward, the path which leads to growth. Get to know yourself and accept what you find. Be gentle. Be bold. Who knows what we can co-create when we own our power? I’m excited to find out.

Olivia Cecchettini
Contributing Writer

Olivia’s yoga journey began in 2003. She is certified in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Aerial Yoga and holds a Masters degree in Spiritual Psychology. She believes the mind, body, soul connection is sacred and encourages her students explore and expand within their own bodies and consciousnesses.

Sometimes the hardest part of yoga is getting on your mat. When you’ve already experienced the benefits of yoga in your life, you may long to have that sense of well-being and peace but struggle to actually get to class. You’re not alone! The process of taking a new activity and turning it into a habit can be a long and winding road. Here are five ways to prioritize your practice and make it into the studio to feel that after-yoga glow more often.

1. Tell Someone. Something as simple as telling a friend when you’re going to class can be the encouragement you need to follow through. Choose someone you talk to often, who would be likely to ask you later how the class went. This works even better if your friend will be going to the same class because you know they’ll be expecting you.

2. Schedule It. Look at your schedule for the week and write in class dates and times that fit around your existing appointments. When new appointments or errands come up, you’ll immediately see the open space in your calendar that doesn’t include your yoga class. If you make time in advance, you’ll be more likely to have the time available the day of class.

3. Pack Your Bag. Set a small bag aside for everything you’ll want with you for yoga. If you pack your bag the day before or a few hours before class time, then you can go about your day knowing that when it’s time to leave, you’re ready. Your bag might include: a mat, a small towel, a bottle of water or even a change of clothes if you’re headed back to the office.

4. Commit to a Membership. Just knowing that every month you’ve already financially invested in your health will help push you out the door so you can physically commit to your practice. Best of all, unlike other studios that only offer an unlimited membership, Yoga One has several membership options to better suit your needs – check them out here.

5. Reflect. After class, spend some time reflecting on your experience. How did you feel before yoga and how do you feel after? What difference did yoga make for your body, mind and spirit? Acknowledge the effort it took to get to class and give yourself a pat on the back. A few minutes of positive reflection and self-congratulations will boost the reward center of the brain so that next time you think about doing yoga, you’ll remember all the good feelings you had and feel a stronger urge to get to class again.

Remember to be patient with yourself, forming a new habit takes time, dedication and a community of support. Tell us about your road to yoga in the comments section below and hope to see you in the studio real soon!

Sometimes the hardest thing about yoga is getting yourself to class. I like to use a variety of tactics loosely based around a punishment/reward system. Telling someone else I’m going to yoga also usually helps because it introduces the elements of peer pressure and losing face if I don’t show up. In case you’re like me and you sometimes need extra motivation in order to actually get to the studio, I made this handy flow chart:

Ideally, the more I go round and round, the more I’ll remember to choose the easiest and fastest route to my yoga bliss, but as they say: easier blogged about than done 🙂

namaste,
Laura