I have to trick myself into being motivated. For me, the best thing is usually to give myself a reason/reward for doing doing something. As in "if I do ____________ I will get to _____________". Without the carrot, this bunny is sedentary.

I wish I knew. Right now, I have great energy and am motivated to do stuff. I've been exercising and eating right and feel great and want to keep that going. This time 2 months ago I would still be in bed right now.

My initial motivation was a frank talk from my doctor about my health. In other words he scared the crap out of me (again). But this is the first time in 9 years I can say I've been eating and exercising consistently. I've lost 24 pounds since 4/28. I went from not being able to finish 20 minutes on the stepmill on level 2. Now I'm at level 8.

Here's another motivator to stay on the fitness plan: I found my workout journal from 1999 and I was up to level 16 on the stepmill. I used to run 10 miles on Saturday morning. I want to be that guy again. He was in great shape. He found a great job he loved. He was getting laid. Where did that dude go? The entries just stop. I try to go back and remember just what happened. It wasnt' an injury or illness. I just stopped working out and eating well. If I were that same guy now, I wouldn't have been diagnosed with diabetes in 2004 and I wouldn't be as worried about my heart.

When I was at the gas station and paid $75 for a full tank, I was motivated to finally take the bus to work. And it is great. I will be saving enough in commuting costs to pay for the new iPhone next week. And with the 3G iPhone I don't have to worry if I miss the WiFi buses. That is my other motivator -- I buy myself new toys for doing things.

I think it comes from accepting where you are. I find that if I'm cranky and tired and really just want to sit around, if I try to trick myself into getting motivated, I just end up more frustrated and tired. If I say to myself, "I'm really frustrated and tired. That's ok. What can I do to accept that?" then half the time that act of acceptance is enough for my psyche to feel like it got the attention it wanted and I'll start to feel better and work *with* my frustration rather than fight *against* it, the other half of the time I'll realize that I really need, for my own health and sanity, to just take it easy right then and I'll stop beating myself up for making that decision.

I'm back into running, mostly because I run with someone once a week. That made me get started, and I'm going 2-3 times a week on my own on top of that.

Rewards, a buddy, starting really really small, making a list the night before-- all of these work sometimes for me.

What occhiblu said, too-- feeling unmotivated isn't fun, but it happens to almost everyone. It's unwarranted and unproductive to beat yourself up about it.

For awhile, I was successful with this whole Eleanor Roosevelt philosophy of doing things I was afraid to do. If I could have had one of those rubber wrist bands made up, mine would have been, WWERD?

But sometimes, the motivation comes second. You just take things step by step. Get showered. Get dressed. Pick up your keys and leave the house. For some reason, once you've taken that step, everything else gets easier.

Not always, mind you. Sometimes it doesn't work, but the initial act of getting going is just something you have to force. You just think, "I can do this." Not "I HAVE to do this," because that adds pressure and makes you more likely to curl up in a ball in bed. More of a challenge. An "I know I can, I know I can."

And then just do something. Honestly? It could be going out to get a cup of coffee. But once you're out and you see it's a beautiful day, and the barista is nice to you, and you see parents on the streets with their kids, it's like, "Hey! I'm one of those living human things too! I can do stuff!"

Maybe that doesn't help. But I hope it does. Me? I'm still not showered or dressed, but I will be in about half an hour. And then out the door.

::hugs::

It's six minutes until noon and I've promised myself that at noon I will get going. If I'm back here posting (or on MeFi), come over and kick my ass.

I have to have a deadline- like be at work at 9 means run at 7:15. That way I'm up and going before my brain wakes up and talks me out of it.

Weekends are tough.

But how do you get motivated enough to initially act?→[More:]Isn't it kind of a chicken/egg problem?

Yes, it's a chicken/egg. Generally you're either born taking your first action without motivation, or you're doomed to living in a cheap apartment passed out on the floor in front of the TV surrounded by empty Dorito bags and Twinkie wrappers until you die in a puddle of your own waste.

I've seen it happen far too many times and I just can't curse God enough.

The good news is that if you aren't in the action/motivation loop you may as well just give in, enjoy it, and spend your money on an unlimited Netflix account.