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How To: Turn a Setback Into a Success

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Today I want to talk to you about setbacks…

Last year I applied to San Diego Comic-Con as a professional.

For those of you that don’t know, badges for the holiest of nerd events are separated into three categories: Attendee, Press and Professional.

I had been running this site for 4 years, published a book, given geek-fitness panels to packed rooms at east coast conventions, and been hosting a comic-book news and review podcast for 3 years. I figured I was a lock.

I was wrong.

I don’t know why being declined bothered me so much, but when I opened the email letting me know I had been declined due to not having sufficient credentials a feeling of failure washed over me. It was like every setback in my life decided to traipse out of the recesses of my brain and mock me. For at least a week I felt like a total failure; that I was never going to succeed…

I felt like I was wasting my time.

Of course that is total nonsense, but it took me a bit to remember to be kind to myself and remember that with the right mindset, not only could I move on from setbacks that befall me, but that I can also turn them into opportunities for growth.

Let’s talk about how to push past whatever obstacle you’re facing and turn it into a positive, okay?

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5 Awesome Workout Motivation Tips!

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Show of hands, who has ever wanted to skip a workout?

You… you too… you over there…

Well guess what? Me too!

We have all been there.

It’s not just you. It happens to us all, but when life tries to drain you of all your superpowers you can’t let it!

If we only worked out when we felt like it, or when we weren’t tired or stressed or too busy, we probably wouldn’t exercise very much at all.

There’s a reason we set our alarms for 5:30 in the morning and decline that tempting chocolate muffin! We’ve got goals. So for the days when the snooze button is just calling your name, or your goals just aren’t convincing enough, here are 5 way to get motivated and keep your eyes on the prize!
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The Secret to a Winning Fitness Motivation Plan

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Getting started with an exercise program or a healthy diet is relatively easy…

Staying motivated though?

That’s a different story!

Once the excitement of doing something new and positive wears off, it takes hard work to stay on track.

The majority of the questions I get asked are not about exercises or recipes; they are about how to stay motivated. It’s mostly things like:

  • “I can’t stick with a program for more than 2-3 weeks before I go back to old habits.”
  • “I’m fine at home, but when I go out the temptation to eat poorly is too strong!”
  • “I know I need to exercise, but I can’t get myself motivated after work…”
  • “Donuts own my soul.”

This is unfortunately all too common, and it’s easy to get down on yourself and feel ashamed. The whole point of under-taking a heroes’ transformation is to control of your own destiny, but here you are feeling like you have no control over your urges or life.

It can be extremely frustrating.

You want to make positive changes, but your brain keeps rebelling!

So today we are going to talk about how willpower and priorities feed your motivation, and how to make changes that will help you follow through with your goals.

If you follow these steps, I guarantee you will be able to come up with a solid plan to keep yourself motivated and on track.

That’s right, today we figure out how to win at motivation.

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Prioritize Your Health!

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Make Your Health a Priority

Show of hands; how many of you have said the following when faced with something you knew you should do?

“I don’t have time.”

Don’t lie.

We’ve all said it before. Even yours truly!

It’s almost become the default “Get Out of Jail Free” card. Have something you know you should do? As long as you qualify it with “I don’t have time” it’s okay to skip out on it.

No one will hold you accountable!

They will just nod empathetically in agreement.

  • Don’t have the time to work out? Just rationalize that it’s easier to be okay getting winded after 5 minutes of playing with your kids.
  • Don’t have the time to stretch properly? Just keep wondering why your muscles are always sore and unresponsive.
  • Don’t have the time to shop for groceries or make a healthy meal? Just tell yourself you will start eating right next week and then order another pizza.
  • Don’t have time to pursue your dreams? Just avoid any risks and keep plugging away unhappily at your job.

Remember… “I don’t have time” makes it all better.

The dirty secret about that excuse though? It’s a total lie!

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How To Develop Super Heroic Willpower

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How To Develop Willpower the Superhero Way - Professor X and the Xmen

It’s a new year, so inevitably everyone is talking New Years Resolutions and about Building Positive Habits.

And while we might know what we want to do and what’s most important to us, a lot of times acting on that knowledge is really difficult!

Because willpower.

I don’t care if you are a super hero of Professor Xavier proportions, at some point in your life you are going to have to wrestle with your impulses and face down self-control issues. It is inevitable.

In the book The Willpower Instinct author Kelly McGonigal explains that ultimately it is your frame of mind that fuels your willpower:

“It’s almost as if we have two minds. We have one brain that is very responsive to our immediate needs, and when we’re in that mindset, we tend to make decisions that are inconsistent with our long-term goals. But we also have this other mindset that thinks about long-term consequences, remembers what our big values are, and takes a kind of expansive view on our lives and our choices.”

When we focus on the immediate we find ourselves caught in a constant cycle of instant gratification, making it really difficult to do the things we know are good for us; but when we place our attention on the long-term, we tend to act in a way that makes our future self (the real-life superhero we aspire to become) happier and healthier!

Willpower is the super-power that directs our energy and attention to what we truly care about, and when it is weak (or even worse, completely absent) there will be a giant gap between our thoughts and actions.

So because I want to give you every possible tool available to change your life for the positive, here are five great tips for how to develop willpower like a superhero!

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The Keys to Running: Staying Motivated

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There’s been a common theme recently at The Jerd about goals and motivation. I encourage you to read these posts:

So let’s explore how to stay motivated as it applies to running.

What’s the Big Deal?  Just go do it.

Running MotivationEasier said than done.  Distance running in particular can be either an exhilarating rush, or a mind-numbingly boring exercise in drudgery.  It’s important to have *something* that motivates you through a 5K, 10K or longer workout.  In my case my preferred 5K course is literally right outside my doorstep.  I run this course at least twice a week, and have been for a few years now.  I know every hill, every side street, and every street light.  You’d think I’d be a little bored with it by now.  Here are some things that motivate me to keep going.

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