A playful attitude to life
Motivation is the biggest problem we all encounter in sticking to a healthy lifestyle. It’s all easy when things are going well but when we hit tough times our will power is tested and often breaks. In fact the biggest single reason diets and healthy lifestyles fail is that people struggle to stick to the plan they follow. So the first key to success is to ensure you stay motivated throughout.
The secret of the healthiest and happiest cultures is that everything they do adds both to their health and their happiness which is why they don’t struggle to do the right things. They follow three simple rules:
- What makes them happy?
- What pressures are on you day to day?
- How do they use what what makes them happy to help them deal with their daily pressures?
All you really need to do is understand what makes you happy and find ways every day to achieve a little piece of happiness and you will stay motivated throughout.
Developing healthy relationships
I now you don’t believe that it’s possible to get healthy through so much happiness but that’s exactly how the healthiest nations do it including the:
- French
- Italians
- Japanese
Each nation simply has a different, healthier relationship to:
- Food
- Rest and recovery
- Work
Than we do which is why they get to enjoy great health and happiness.
Bucketlists of Memories
The best way to start adding more play, freedom and fun to your life and build you motivation is to start a bucket list. A bucket list is simply a list of things you want to do and experience, much like a list of things you want to do before you die. When you have this list you use it as your training guide and motivation because as you focus on ticking items off the list you begin to use your day to get fit and strong enough to do these activities properly while living the busy challenging life you live.
The list can contain anything you like including:
- gigs and sporting events
- visiting a zoo (we use zsl), heritage site (checkout the national trust)
- holidays, where would you love to travel too
- shopping you might want a day to splurge (the bbc good food show is our favourite but what’s yours)
- Restaurants and cafes: We love finding new places to eat and then exploring the area
- Shows: We have visited air shows, the santapod raceway for fireworks
- Special occasions: What is your favourite idea for christmas, easter, your birthday or anniversary
As you build your bucket list you start to see how much fun there is to be had and great memories that you want to create.
Take a step towards your goals right now by picking something fun and doing it to see how it motivates you.
More resources
It helps to realise that play and its benefits have always been important. It is just something that often gets forgotten.On pinterest I have a long list of quotes on play. Here is a shortened list describing how play is considered sacred.
- Life must be lived as play.~~Plato
- Joy: The secret of life is enjoying the passage of time – James Taylor
- Happiness: Happiness is not a destination, it is a way of life
- Laughter: Always find time to laugh. It may not add years to your life but will surely add life to your years
- Create a life that feels good on the inside, not just one that looks good on the outside
- Laughing is, and always will be, the best form of therapy
play.fit2thrive.co.uk is the companion site designed to support the play aspect of Fit2Thrive. The focus is on helping you enjoy yourself while living your life and getting fit.
Next steps
As you start taking steps in play and making new memories you will need to look at the other types of step in Fit2Thrive