You're probably telling yourself something like "I should exercise right now. If I don't work out, I'm never going to get fit." This statement has many hidden obstacles. For one thing, feeling like you should do something makes it seem like work, or an obligation. That's no fun! You're also thinking about what will happen if you don't exercise -- in other words, you're threatening yourself with punishment (the image of being unfit). Subconsciously, you're flooding your mind with negativity. Instead of thinking about how you'll look if you don't work out, think about how great you'd look if you did! It's very important to think in the positive. Instead of, "God, I feel terrible for not working out," think "I'd feel better if I worked out -- so tomorrow I will." If you think in "nots" and "nevers" and "didn'ts," you're just bogging yourself down, making it even harder to get motivated!

What's the point in having goals if nothing is going to come from it? You gotta reward yourself! And again -- the rewards don't have to be dangled in front of you until the very end (that's just cruel); give yourself teeny rewards from time to time for sticking with it. Make a reward for every session, every week, every pound, or every task you do/exercise/lose/complete -- whichever speaks to you. This is all about training your brain. When you see the good stuff behind all the work, it'll give you the strength to keep going and to stick with it. The other side of the coin is to make the alternatives worse. Tell yourself if you don't work out, you have to organize the attic, or call that cousin you haven't spoken to since that awkward family reunion. Now that's one threatening motivation.

Spending money and having nothing to show for it is a pretty crappy feeling. So when you spend triple digits on shoes, pants, and other gear, you gotta use it. So go out and buy a new workout outfit! Part of you will be chomping at the bit to go slink it around the gym. However, this won't work if you leave it in a bag in your car or bury it at the back of your closet. When you buy that outfit, leave it out. Place it on your dresser, on your bed -- heck, on the kitchen counter -- to torment you until you wear it. Once again, the whole "out of sight, out of mind" thing is what you're working on here. Constant reminders will keep you on the right track!

If you want to go to the gym, but just don't feel like it, just drive yourself to gym. Tell yourself that if you still don't feel like working out, you'll go home. Odds are, though, once you're there, you won't feel like driving home. Then tell yourself you'll just walk on the treadmill for 10 minutes, even if your exercise routine involves much more. Just telling yourself to do one more thing, without having to commit to anything else, will make things much easier. And before long, your endorphins will take over. If your form of exercise involves going outside, a good first step is to get dressed and just sit outside. A good next step is to walk. You'll find that once you're dressed to go and walking, exercise doesn't seem like such a big stretch.

Surround yourself with motivating people
The world is full of people that want you to fail. These people are insecure, unhappy, and just plain mean. Avoid them. You know who they are. They'll make this process so much harder to accomplish. They're not worth it. Working out is such a common thing nowadays. If it's not working out, it's dieting. Nobody is happy with what they look like or their health levels it seems. Use this to your advantage! Do you have a group of coworkers, friends, or family members that are going through the same thing? Suggest you team up! You all can put yours heads together to support each other. After all, there's strength in numbers.

If someone hands you a book on something you have zero interest in reading, you're gonna glance at the front cover, the back cover, maybe flip through the pages, and set it down to gather dust. So if you hand your body and mind an equivalent workout, don't expect anything different. Do something that you enjoy, will stick to, and want to see through to the end. This may take readjusting your concept of "working out." It's anything that gets you moving! You don't have to go pounding the pavement or asking for a spotter at the gym. Go swimming, go for a walk in the park, take a dance class -- anything. If you like it, do it. It counts!

Your favorite author just wrote a new novel that's supposed to be really good -- but it's only available at a store across town, the hours are 1:30-2:00 on Thursdays, and there's no parking lot. Are you gonna get that book? Probably not. Same goes for your workout. If it's inconvenient, it's not gonna happen. Pick one that you can get done that doesn't cut into your day so you get 'er done (or else you'll end up resentful, too). Pick a gym that makes sense. Even if the best one is 30 minutes away, you'll be better off going to a decent one that's on your way home from work. Alternatively, plan out a routine you can do at home (yoga, anyone?) and fix it into your schedule. When there are no two ways around it, you'll feel obligated to do it.

Go for a quick, but intense, workout
Kill the "I don't have time" excuse by developing a routine that engages every muscle in your body in just a few minutes. Just because a workout is long doesn't mean it's good and just because a workout is short doesn't mean it's bad. Kill those misconceptions! Get into interval training. If your schedule is jammed pack, this is the workout for you. If you haven't heard of it, where have you been? High intensity interval training is one of the fastest fat-blasting workouts on the planet (at least right now). You simply alternate between super intense bouts of exercise and rest.[4] The easiest example is 30 seconds full out on the treadmill followed by 20 seconds of rest, but you can do it with weights, too.