If a had a nickel for every time I heard – “how do you stay motivated?”….I’d have about $ 5.00. Nonetheless, it is a pretty loaded question with a number of answers, each meriting their own post, but there is one secret that I think actually helps out a great deal when it comes to staying motivated.
NEW STUFF!
Yes, new stuff! Be it a new pair of shoes, new shorts, new t-shirts, a new hoody, or a new gadget, buying new stuff is one of the biggest ways I stay motivated. And, though you think it might be pretty burdensome on the pocket…it can actually help save money in the long run.
Buying new stuff is actually a 2-prong attack;
- If you spend money on something you are more likely to use it…especially if it is over $50.00…and if that new thing is something you’ll use while being, and staying, active than even more of a reason to buy it.
- Everyone loves new stuff and love using that new-new. I mean I don’t know one person who doesn’t like the feeling of getting a new pair of shoes…some of us still think we can run faster, jump higher, and be overall more heroic every time we wear a new pair of kicks.
Yeah, this can be a bit expensive but not if you budget for it and buy quality stuff you like. Please don’t go crazy with this tip. I personally don’t spend more than about $300.00 a year on new workout stuff…I actually probably average about $150 a year…and now that I workout at home I am actually saving anywhere from $100 – $300 if you count not having to pay for a gym membership.
But when buying that “new-new” there is one important tip –
BUY WHAT YOU WANT!
When I do buy new stuff I buy what I want and don’t really think twice about it anymore. This may sound like I am throwing caution to the wind BUT I AM MOST CERTAINLY NOT. I used to be frugal when purchasing my workout goods but that ended the day I realized SAVING MONEY WAS ACTUALLY COSTING ME MONEY.
I have 2 quick examples of what I am talking about;
- I used to buy “cheaper” workout clothes because “I couldn’t afford” what I really wanted – Under Armour. But, as mentioned in a previous post, when I noticed that the one pair of Under Armour shorts I had at the time (a pair of shorts I was wearing at least 3 times a week) where outlasting all the “cheaper” shorts I was buying, I realized that I had spent 3x’s more in a about 2/3 a year than if I would have just bought the “expensive” Under Armour shorts. One day I finally decided to spend the money on the Under Armour shorts I originally wanted and they lasted….…ALMOST 10 YEARS!!!!!!
So, when you find yourself questioning your purchases because you’d like to “save money” be sure to know if you’ll REALLY be “SAVING MONEY!”
- Not even two months ago I found myself needing new workout shoes. So, being a sucker for Nike Shox, I started my search…and what I found was a bit disappointing. The stores where flooded with Nike Free Runs and/or a number of similar products. I personally like the look and feel of running shoes but they really don’t allow one to do any lateral movements without breaking your ankle or slipping out of the shoes. I did find some Shox…though stylistically not my bag of tea…so much so I could not bring myself to buy the Shox I found in the stores. Not finding any Shox I liked in stores I finally went online to look for some and, to my surprise, found that there were really none out there. This being the case I found myself at Nike.com and found that NikeID had Shox….for $155.00 + tax + shipping! I could not bring myself to pay that much for shoes so I went back to my local store and bought some new Nike Free Runs 3.0 meant for cross training. I even purchased some insoles to help with stability and stayed, including my coupon, under $120.00.So, I saved $30 + got some new nice insoles that would help with my plantar fasciitis…or would they…?Turns out that I HATE RUNNING IN FREE RUNS! Yeah, maybe I am not used to them, but how can I when I tried gradually switching to them and found that every time I used the new pair of shoes, no matter how short the run, I would get blisters on my feet…something NO PAIR OF SHOX HAD EVER CAUSED.So, AFTER SPENDING $120 JUST TO SAVE $30, I HAVE FOUND MYSELF HAVING TO PONY UP ANOTHER $155.00 for the new Shox. Long story short – I could have saved $120 from the start if I would have just bought the shoes I wanted, liked, and I knew worked for me!
So, now that you know I don’t just buy new stuff willy-nilly I hope you take this tip to heart. There really is nothing better than getting excited to workout the next day to keep you, well, working out the next day…and if new stuff helps then most certainly get that stuff.
I actually think of the new stuff as an investment in myself. It is something that I will use to make me better. So, as long as I use the new goods, then, most of the time, it’s worth every penny.
Another way of looking at it is as a treat/reward to yourself. Set personal goals to reach and reward yourself with some new stuff!
THIS IS ACTUALLY A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE WILL REWARD THEMSELVES WITH FOOD…WHICH CAN HAVE VERY BAD UNFORESEEN CONSEQUENCES…but more about this at a later post.
The point here is to make sure you stay motivated and rewarding myself with that new-new helps keep me going. Be it new shoes, new clothes, or new gadgets, as long as that new-new keeps you sweating and moving the next day then don’t put a budget on it
BECAUSE THERE IS NO PRICE TO A HEALTHIER AND MORE MOTIVATED YOU!
The custom shoes designed for X-Gains at Nike iD. One way I stay motivated to workout – new kicks.
