Committing to a fitness program is a noble goal, but sticking to it is a test of your inner resolve. Somewhere along the way you're going to lose steam. Maybe the results aren't equal to the effort you've expended or perhaps you've hit a plateau. It's at this point, when giving up seems easier than moving forward, that you've got to pull out all the stops. Use motivational mantras for exercising and break through to a whole new level of achievement.
Mantra Facts
In the 1960s a yogi named Maharishi traveled to North America from India and introduced Transcendental Meditation --- or TM, as it's called today. In the Transcendental Meditation tradition, the guru assigns mantra to the student in order for the meditator to focus -- usually in Sanskrit and often invoking the name of a Hindu deity. But like meditation itself, mantras have undergone a North American makeover in the past 50 years and the choices are endless. A mantra can now be defined as a word or string of words meaningful and motivating to the individual who chose it.
Positive Mental Attitude
Motivational mantras for exercising should be chosen for the inspirational boost they give you. As with affirmations, the modern mantra should infuse you with strength of purpose. Many people who delve into self-development books to improve their lives and attitudes choose quotes, or derivatives thereof, by their favorite authors. Developing what Napoleon Hill, a modern self-help "guru" who authored "Think and Grow Rich" in 1937, called a "positive mental attitude" is essential; embrace mantras as one of the most positive aspects of your fitness routine.
Locus of Control
In the 1960s, psychologist Julian Rotter studied why certain people were better equipped to handle life's vagaries. He looked into what effect their behaviors and beliefs had on the outcomes of their endeavors. Rotter found that people who had a more developed "locus of control" were those who accepted full responsibility for their own success and failures. Those people, like athletes, who have a highly actualized internal locus of control -- in other words, they own their decisions in life and push through the challenges -- are more likely to succeed. Creating a motivational mantra for exercising is the mark of an individual who strives for excellence.
Be Like Bruce
"Walk on" was a mantra used by Bruce Lee, who was inspired after a devastating injury. A formidable champion, Lee was as famous for his philosophical skills as for his martial arts expertise before his untimely death in 1973. He also urged people to "be water" -- a mantra that reinforced the idea that you can become whatever you envision for yourself. Using motivational mantras for exercising will spur you on when you've hit the wall. The passion with which you silently repeat your mantra will give it its power to motivate you.
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