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BY MICHAEL W. SMITH, CPT, M.S.

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

"Motivation isn't something that happens to you – it's something that you create for yourself."

It's the first week of March – what's up with those good ol' resolutions?

Have you made progress or did your motivation fizzle out?

Most people wait around for motivation to strike them like a lightning bolt, like it's going to fall down from the fitness gods and smack them in the head.

I've heard and seen it time and time again over the past 10 years, and I've got to tell you: It's completely up to you.

We've all said to ourselves (myself included), "Work is crazy!" "Family is crazy!" "I'll do it tomorrow" or my favorite ... "I'll start on Monday!"

So what's the solution?

There is no magic solution like there is no magic pill to cure all and lose all that fat we "accumulate" from time to time.

But you can use mind-body strategies to overcome the motivation waiting game.

Small, daily reminders and actions that will put your motivation on auto pilot.

I want you to say this out loud and re-read this over and over, "Motivation isn't something that happens to you – it's something that you create for yourself."

That's right, you create how you feel and ultimately how you look.

Do genetics play a role? Of course. Do genetics have to dictate how you look and feel? Of course not.

It's up to you to feel motivation, it's up to you to act. Action is the best cure-all I know of, and that's why I remind the 50+ Moms and Women that I train every month to take small but powerful actions.

If you don't feel motivated to achieve your goals, it is likely due to mental roadblocks that hold you hostage.

Here are 21 Mind-Body-Fitness tips that will get you going and prepare your mind & body to think and look great.

1. Success comes first in the mind, so visualize yourself accomplishing your goals.
2. Remember, you are the only person who can hold you back.
3. Forgive yourself and love yourself despite past failures.
4. Decide what is important in your life, and focus on that.
5. Conquer each negative thought the moment it enters your mind, when it is weakest.
6. Give up the idea that things won't go right unless you worry about them.
7. If you bring the body of your dreams to the point of resolve, then you'll soon be living in it.
8. Look towards your future, if you believe the best is yet to come then it will be.
9. You become what you think about most.
10. The margin between success and failure is very small and easily bridged by determination.
11. Start your day by accomplishing your hardest task first.
12. Set small attainable goals, rather than one monumental goal.
13. Convince yourself that exercise is fun, and it will be.
14. Know your big reason why. Why you want to look and feel awesome!
15. Create a motivating play list of songs to use as the sound track to your workout sessions.
16. Every decision you make leads you either closer toward achieving your goal, or farther from it.
17. If you think you're a fat person, then you'll stay fat. If you think you're fit, then you soon will be.
18. Once you've set your goal, your attitude either pushes you toward accomplishment or failure.
19. If you don't know exactly where you want to go, you will likely end up someplace else.
20. You can have the body of your dreams, but first you must give up the belief that you can't.
21. You can only have two things in life: excuses or results.

Michael W. Smith is the author of SuperSkinnyMom.com and an expert fitness boot camp coach at NorthJerseyBootCamp.net.