I've lost my mojo!

I've been wondering where my mojo went. I'm not the only one. I've been talking to tribe members, family, friends, my team..just about anyone who has a minute and makes eye contact with me..about the feeling of "blah" lately. I'm not the only one feeling blah lately. I've been talking to a lot of people about this lack of motivation and many people are feeling the same way. Is it Covid fatigue? Is it the changing weather? Is it the changing of the seasons? The meteor showers? I'm not sure what's causing this feeling of blah lately, but I wanted to begin the search for my mojo..and I began with one of our tribe members who is also a fitness model!

Meet Jaclyn! You can find her on Instagram @jac_lynfit. I decided to interview this gorgeous tribe member about motivation because she's such an inspiration! I watch her workout videos and try them out! I'm looking for the motivation to keep trying them, every day. Or, at least be physically active every day, and who better to talk to about motivation than a fitness model? She's a mom to two girls, a full time nurse and a fitness model! When does she have time for fun? Sleep? Yet, her dedication not just to body building but to proper nutrition, is very motivating. She's such an inspiration! How does she do it? Where does she find the time?? I can barely find the time to shower let alone cram into one day what this woman does! But the most inspirational thing about Jaclyn is her desire to help others. If she can have a conversation with someone and it makes their day better then she's going to have that conversation. She's super supportive of other women, always encouraging them and complimenting them, helping in any way she can. Now THAT'S a Wonder Woman!

What was her original motiviation?

She didn't start out with the intent to become a fitness model that is sponsored by many different companies, including Macro Foods, right here in Windsor. Growing up with older brothers she learned to be tough and strong, but to also committ to goals. Finish what you start. Also, by having older brothers she became competitive in sports, and that created the best kind of competition - the one you have with yourself. Self-competition is truly the best kind of competition. You want to go further, create more, go longer, be faster, lift more, achieve more than you did before.

After schooling she needed an outlet and really going to the gym was her best option. Getting in shape was an original goal, but it morphed into something else. She didn't begin this journey with the goal of competing as a fitness model, but here she is. Shortly after she began this journey she got pregnant, but just 5 short months after her first child was born she was competing, and winning! Then, she got pregnant soon after that and again, 5 months after her second child she was competing again, and satisfied with the outcomes.

That's another thing - being satisfied. The healthy balance between being driven to achieve a goal, and being satisfied with the outcome is such an important balance to have. I still work on balance in my life so it's very important to realize when you're doing to much for that goal and sacrificing everything else to attain it.

She wanted to get back into shape after having her babies, but she also wanted to find her peace. Raising two babies that are close in age and working full time, along with post-partum, can create the perfect storm for "not feeling it". It's exhausting! But, by carving out time for the gym every day, she found her "me time". This is so important, not just for moms and dads, but for everyone. She gets up really early and gets a work out done before the day begins. This is her "me time". The time that we all need, and getting your share of you is hard enough every day without having to wait until the very end of the day, when all you get is the beat up, exhausted version of you. We give so much of ourselves every day that finding that time just for yourself is hard, but it's necessary. I have my "me time" in the morning as well. I don't jump out of bed and hit the gym..more like get up, make coffee, drink coffee, drink more coffee, read the news, and then get to work, either physically going to work, or facing my laptop and getting other work done. But I need that little hour of coffee and news first.

So, Jaclyn set her goals and did exactly that and it morphed into who and where she is today. This is where I get a little spiritual and think that this was her calling..that the universe conspired to get her in the gym so that she could get to where she is today in life - helping others. With their health, both in the health care setting and the gym, to their kitchens and even spilling over into their personal lives. She always offers encouragement and solid advice!

How do you deal with "not feeling it"?

There are days when she doesn't wake up in beast mode and want to race to the gym to work out. Everyone has those days when their mojo wants to stay in bed, or is missing. I've really been struggling with this lately to the point that I've made an appointment with my doctor to talk about it. Normally I'm a positive, optomistic person who sees the bright side of things, finds all the silver linings and believes that things can get better. But lately, I've really been struggling with feelings of depression. It could be the changing season, it could be a Vitamin D defficiency (I've had that before), it could be stress, anxiety ( this is caused by the ever-changing restrictions and not being able to predict what will happen next ), menopause, hypothyroidism (these conditions can mimic depression), or a host of other things but I want to find out what's making me feel so blah, and correct it, which is why I've made an appointment with my doctor, and if you feel the same way I urge you to speak to your doctor about how you feel.

So what does Jaclyn do when she's not feeling it? When she has a negative thought try to cross her mind? She dismisses the negative thought with a positive one right away, and she counts her blessings. Gratitude. That's what's been missing!! I'd let my daily gratitude slip and that can make such a huge difference in my day, so back on track with that!! One simple thing that resonated so deeply within me that I could actually feel my brain light up!

Motivation is also choices. I could choose to lay in bed all day or I can choose to be productive. I can go for a walk and feel excited about it, rather than it feeling like a chore. When it starts to feel like a chore you need to mix it up. Doing different things, or doing the same thing in a new setting could change your level of motivation, but it's that endorphin rush that is the best motivator. I like how that feels. After a really good hike on the trails I feel so much better about everything! I want to keep moving as well!

Advice to those of us just beginning our journey to better health and fitness:

Jaclyn says it's about progress..not perfection. HA! Another wonderful and super helpful tip! I want to get back into shape. I want to be realistic about it as well, and sticking to progress rather than perfection will actually make it easier. She also talked about celebrating those small successes..not having sugar in the coffee that day, walking an extra 15 minutes, adding a 5 minute jog to my walk, learning a new skill, whatever it is CELEBRATE it! Pat yourself on the back and say "job well done!" She also talked about being consistent. Stick with it. Don't let the scale destroy your motivation. Your body will be going through a lot and the scale won't tell the whole story. Stick with it! If you trust in the process and stay consistent, use positive reinforcement every single day then you WILL see results. If you want better results then talk to someone like Jaclyn who can guide you and recommend different things.

I'm going to find my mojo again. I'm going to do it in little bits instead of setting up a big goal, like participating in a marathon. Yes, I'd like to do that. Even a mini marathon. Just to do it. Just to say I did it. But to get there I'm going to have to find my mojo. Rather than trying to set up a schedule of jogging every other day for x amount of time and y distance, I'm going to add exercise snacks to my day. (More about that in another blog). I'm going to make my goals small, achievable and build on them from here. This is another great way to get motivated - to be accountable to others when deciding on a goal. Posting your goal to social media makes you accountable to others, who can (hopefully) encourage you to reach your goal.

So, I have found my mojo..or at least got a little closer to finding it. It's not lost all together, but rather just missing..or hiding out from me. Having this talk with Jaclyn has given me lots of food for thought, along with that little extra push I need to get motivated to get back to me and doing the things I love doing. Next? I'm going to be talking to her about nutrition. Jaclyn is a fitness model, mom, nurse and vegetarian! I really want to know how she feeds her body the right amount of food, and gives it the proper nutrition it needs for the beast mode workouts that she does. How does she do that??? It'll be another fun interview with this amazing woman! Stay tuned!

And remember - progress..not perfection.

BeYOUtiful my tribe.