The most common motivational problem, as presented to me by runners over the last three decades, is how to get out of bed early enough and be ready to do a long run, hard workout or race, or simply a run that was assigned for that day—before the temperature rises or before work.
State your desired outcome: To be awake and fully engaged in the run from the start.
Identify the challenge: Monkey brain desire to lie in bed and no desire to exert yourself so early. The stress of the alarm clock and having to think about what to do next when waking up so early.
Break up the challenge into a series of actions, which lead you through the mental barriers, not one of which is stressful.
The night before, lay out your running clothes and shoes (often near the coffee machine) so that you don’t have to think about it in the morning.
Set your alarm, and as you are lying in bed, say to yourself over and over, “ALARM OFF.....FEET ON FLOOR....TO THE KITCHEN.” Or, more simply stated, “ALARM....FEET....KITCHEN.”
As you repeat this, you consciously visualize doing each action, connecting them together into a chain of behaviors. By repeating it, you lull yourself to sleep. More important, you have also been programming yourself to take action the next morning.
The alarm goes off. You shut it off, put feet on the floor, and head to the kitchen—mentally focusing on each action—because you programmed your conscious brain to take control.
You’re focusing on each action, putting on one piece of clothing at a time, sipping coffee (or whatever morning drink you have), never thinking about exercise.
With coffee cup in hand and clothes on, you stick your head out the door to see what the weather is like.
Driving to the workout or race, sipping your beverage, you rehearse seeing friends, feeling the positive energy of an event, easing into the workout or race, and feeling good about your exertion.
OR, you walk to the edge of your property, put the coffee cup down, and cross the street. You’re on your way.
The endorphins are kicking in. The positive peptides are rising. You feel good. You want to continue.
Principle of motivational physics: A body on the bed wants to stay on the bed. But once a body is in motion, it wants to stay in motion.