It is soooo hot!  At least that’s what a lot of people are saying via text, e-mail, or in the news.  And we all know how the heat can zap our energy and deplete our reserves for anything beyond doing what is absolutely necessary.  So this week’s blog is inspired by a young man I know who impressed me with an idea for motivation rekindling on days it is dwindling.

Kevin is a runner.  Actually, he tells me he is not a runner, but is training for a race he entered with the goal of becoming a runner.  Kevin was out of shape and has a job that is rather sedentary.  His doctor encouraged him to start exercising to lose some weight and to lower his cholesterol, as his family has a history of diabetes and heart disease.  So Kevin entered a race that is far enough in the future that he has time to work up to running the distance, and in the process, help him become fitter and develop the habit of exercise.  As the summer has progressed, Kevin has been challenged with not only hot weather, but all kinds of roadblocks of time and energy to his fitness goals.  But what has helped Kevin put his sneakers on at the end of a long day (when truthfully, he told me, he would rather put his pajamas on) is his Inspiration Board.

“Inspiration what,” I had to ask?  “Inspiration Board,” he repeated.  Kevin took a poster size piece of foam board and, like he used to do in school, made a collage.  He pasted the advertisement sheet for the race, the receipt for the money he spent on his new pair of sneakers, pictures of athletes he admired, and quotes he found inspirational all on the Board.  Then he placed the Inspiration Board right next to his refrigerator with the daily plan for his exercise routine pinned directly on top.  He found that in the past, when he got home, his old habit was to go straight to the fridge, eat more than he intended, and then feel lazy.  Since creating the Inspiration Board, when he got home and went to get a snack, he was inundated with his goal.  He did not have the option of conveniently “forgetting” what his plan for the day was, either.   It didn’t work every time, he admits, but most days, having the reminder and actively engaging with it, by adding new quotes or photographs, kept his motivation fresh.  He told me that when he felt lazy or tended to drift away from his goal, seeing the Board put him back in touch with the strong motivation and determination he felt when he made the Board and originally created his goal.

Even if you’re not as craft oriented as Kevin, you can still develop some type of visual representation of your goals and inspiration.  I know people who are quitting smoking find it useful to have pictures of their loved ones around places they might be tempted to smoke.  Some people make a list of the top three reasons they want to change and then post it in relevant places.  You can go high tech, using your phone or computer to send you daily reminders, or, as my daughter often does with great success, use Pinterest.  She creates a virtual board and pins pictures related to themes of plans she is creating.

Whatever the medium that you choose to use, the important part that seems to be helpful is repeatedly putting your intention right in front of your face.  While, like the heat wave, motivation seems to rise and fall, a visual reminder can help redirect your memory and your emotion in your intended direction.  Kevin, who is in the advertising industry, thinks of it as marketing.  We all know the power of commercials and images to sell us on food or a new car.  So why not sell ourselves on our own intentions?  Create your own custom made change inspiration advertisement.  And if you really get in the spirit, why not make a jingle to go along with it!