We have spent the last couple months posting various pretty hard exercises that will have our bodies looking HOT this swimsuit season.  But, writing and reading about exercises won’t do the trick.  Taking the actions steps to complete your exercise routine is the hardest part of the process.

Learn how to motivate yourself to action using the following tips from our expert and president of Behavioral Dynamics, Steve Levinson.

A Dirty Little Secret About Staying Motivated

Staying motivated isn’t easy. What makes it especially hard is that we have a rather unrealistic idea of how motivation works. We expect the same good reasons that motivated us to decide to start a challenging program to also motivate us to finish it. But the truth is, it’s a whole lot easier to FEEL LIKE starting a challenging program than it is to FEEL LIKE finishing one.

The trick to hanging in there until the job is done is to stop relying on the “right” reasons to make you follow through. Instead, create your own special high octane motivation by deliberately putting yourself in a situation that makes you FEEL LIKE you absolutely MUST finish.

For example, make a written promise to someone (or someones) who will make you feel accountable who you’d really hate to disappoint. Or invite friends now to a party next month to celebrate your completion of the program. Or write out a check now to charity you despise and ask a friend to mail it unless you finish the program.

Steve Levinson, Ph.D., President, Behavioral Dynamics, Inc.

The first step out the door is the hardest.  How do you motivate yourself to action?