I think most people think I'm a very motivated and driven person but I'll be the first person to say that I'm rather lazy and such a procrastinator. I use all my motivation to up my self discipline and not stay lazy, hence the countless lists I make to keep me on track. My silly daily things-to-do-lists that always include obvious tasks like water the plants and take the laundry out of the machine may sound silly to most, the fact that I write them down that is, but I know me. I know that if I don't make a list then I won't motivate myself to get up and do them. The same is true with my training and with my eating. It's very easy for me to skip training and to skip a meal just like any other person and it often takes a lot of self talk and self discipline to not do so. I wasn't naturally a highly motivated person but I made myself become one. It wasn't so much as I wanted to become highly motivated as it was I needed to become one. I had reached a point where I was just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I was sick of where I wanted to be, where I thought I should be and where I was in terms of my health and fitness were all three different places. Where I am and where I want to be still remain two different places but the distance between them gets closer everyday. Everyday I push myself to stay motivated; it's hard work.
My top ten list of things that keep me motivated...
1. Having goals
Whether the goal is future thing like an actual race/fight, a weekly thing like racking up my mileage with my running or simply doing the my Spartan Ab circuit in one shot, I always pose goals for myself. I always need some kind of challenge, a focus, to direct my attention towards and work towards conquering. After all, why train so hard and eat so healthy if there's no real direction or destination in mind
2. Pinterest
I'll be the first to admit it, I am a Pinterest junkie. It is true. Click on the "Health & Fitness" and you'll scroll down countless quotes to motivate you, countless ripped body pics to inspire you, and countless clean eating advice to feed you. I'm all about the catching quotes and pictures of everyday people who trimmed up and toned down. I'm very much a visual person so the discover of Pinterest was like a feast for my eyes that I just couldn't get enough of and I am still as very much in love with as ever.
3. Educating myself
I love the fact that my body is what I make of it. Having said this, I really do try to read up on fitness articles and whatnot, cramming what I can into my brain and applying what I've learnt. There is always new development and things I don't know, and I love learning about them. I have a subscription to Oxygen Fitness magazine. It comes once a month and I must admit that I'm such a geek when it comes to reading it. I have a routine. The magazine stays in its plastic wrapping until I can read it from front to back at a coffee shop with no one interrupting me or disturbing it.
4. The aftermath of a solid workout
... the endorphins, the sore muscles, the burn, knowing that I just killed an awesome workout, the feeling of self satisfaction and pride, knowing I did my body good, and the reality that I am one step closure to where I want to be. It's funny because many people think I like running when in fact I don't. It's the finish line that I love and all the feelings that come with it. Perhaps that's why I love winter running and running with weighs on, there's a stronger feeling of accomplishment after a harder run.
5. My Hulkies
I may not be changing the minds of tomorrow but I definitely feel like I am helping to change the bodies of tomorrow. There are many mental and emotional changes that come with the physical changes and all of these changes are inspiring to me when I see them take place in our Hulkies. Whether it's a Hulkie now able to pump out more reps than before or a shy one now starting to post training selfies, it's pretty cool to watch our Hulkies evolve into these healthier, happy people who once walked in as strangers but are now a part of us. I love it when I see Hulkies doing an exercise I taught them or using a tip I gave them, like how to set up their feet position for boxing. I taught them these things, they listened and they're using what I passed on to them, I love that.
6. My job title as coach/manager of Hulk's and pro boxer.
I've always believed that you have to practice what you preach, consequently, I refuse to be one of the people who doesn't follow their own advice or contradicts themselves with what they say. I train very hard and I eat very clean, not only for my own well-being but because I think it's my responsibility as a trainer to live what I preach. It's like a doctor who tells you to be careful of your health but smokes. I'll never understand such contradictory people; they're so hypercritical and such an insult to their line of work. I refuse to fall into the same category of them. I take great pride in my health and fitness because I believe it's important to do so and in doing this I hope to teach by example. Sometimes my desire to be a great example gets a bit too much though, I must admit, like when we have our monthly challenges. I always put such great pressure on myself; I want to be the best among the females, correction, I feel I have to be the best.
When I first started dating Snickers, his chiseled body intimidated the heck out of me and I was sure when everyone looked at him and saw he was with me, they'd wonder why I guy like him was with a girl like me. I busted my butt off, not because I wanted a super strong body but because I wanted the confidence that came with being healthy and fit -- I wanted to be comfortable in my own skin. I've always told myself that I wanted people to think the opposite, which doesn't mean I wished him poor health or a bad body but because I just really wanted to excel and reach my own potential. I still remain somewhat competitive with Snickers when it comes to training hard and perhaps that's why it's often hard for us to train together.
8. My age
I've never been as proud of my age as I have been lately and often I find myself eagerly telling people my age, particularly my Korean age. I am 33 but according to the Korean age system I am 35. I am the healthiest I have ever been and though I've said this is previous years, it was true at the time I said it but I feel I have kept up with improving myself. I love reading up on older individuals who broke the stereotypical image associated with their age, like a 75 year old Korean bodybuilder I met a few years back. My goal is to be like him, break the mold and not be a stereotype -- redefine what it means to be a certain age. I'm a 33 year old woman with a husband 4 years my junior who helps keep me on my toes like a 2 year old. I'm 33 but I feel like I am 22 ago and yes, sometimes my immature takes me back to 15 all over again but I'm not ashamed of that.
[Note, the buff man on the right is 73... yup.... SEVENTY-THREE!!!]
[Note, the buff man on the right is 73... yup.... SEVENTY-THREE!!!]
9. The desire to be my own fitspiration.
Back when I trained in Canada at EMBA boxing club, I trained alongside three Olympian boxers and it was like I was among royalty in my world. They trained so hard, were so intense, and there was definitely a sense of humility those watching all felt. When I wasn't boxing I was weight training at System and there was a particular friend I used to pick her brain about training, a professional fitness model. We were the same height, same weight and had many of the same body measurements but my measurements surely didn't look like how hers did on her body. She was built like a complete fitness goddess and, despite not being into woman, you couldn't help but have your jaw drop at the sight of her and want to touch her toned muscles. I want that -- I want to make that kind of reaction, to be so completely on top of my game that people look at me and stare in pure respect and admiration. Now that I'm in Korea, I feel I'm lacking such an inspirational female to train with. I think WOW President comes close but it's different for me because he is a man. Not to disrespect him or to take away any much due respect, but I need a strong woman to inspire me. One of my female Korean friends once became such a woman in my life, when I first met her, but then her desire to stay healthy and active stopped when she started to make a family. It was either family or fitness in her mind. I know many mommys who have got back into shape, sadly though my friend never did become one of them.
10. Making a schedule of my workouts.
A schedule doesn't guarantee that I'll follow it 100% but it surely acts as both a reminder to myself to what training I should aim for on what days and it helps me hold a sense of accountability to my own self and even to others who are aware of my schedule.
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