Initial credit has to be given to Dr Julie, from Instagram and TikTok for the idea.

I was listening to another Joe Wicks podcast (honestly do check them out on BBC Sounds as they are all about 30 mins, which is great!) and Joe asked Julie how she copes when she has no motivation.

Like me, she thinks that motivation isn’t something you are born with, it is not a personality trait…thats why I get so pissed off when people see what I do, see the results I can get, and then simply state “I wish I had your motivation!” like it is something that comes easily all the time.

Its a nonsense!

Ive started myself on a rant now so just bear with me…

Look at “Fat Janice” for instance, Fat Janice is no longer fat because she lost 2 and a half stone in the Lockdowns.

She goes into work and Jackie and Sharon are amazed at the transformation. Actually Jackie is more concerned that Janice is starting to look gaunt, and so thinks she is giving helpful advice when she suggests that Janice should stop now., as the loss of fat is starting to age her.

The reality, as we all know, (even if you don’t admit it) is that Jackie is jealous as hell and can’t cope with the bright shiny mirror that Janice is holding up in the office every day!

That mirror, that reflects back onto Jackie and highlights, that she, on the other hand, chose the different approach and actually put a stone and a half on over the Lockdowns.

There is no judgement here…just choices and no right or wrong, but why do some women feel the need or even worse, feel they are entitled to try and turn someones success into a negative.

Can you imagine Janice going into the office, noticing that Julie has put on quite a bit of weight, and offer her helpful advice that she should stop eating pasties and cake as she is starting to look like a pig in a bag?!

What Jackie and Sharon didn’t see Janice doing…

Getting up early every morning to do her workout in her living room before the children got up.

Not pressing that snooze button, even though she had had a bad nights sleep.

Starting the couch to 5k even though she hadn’t run in over 30 years and she thought she was going to pass out on her first run…but she never gave up.

How upset and mortified she was when after 3 weeks of running, she thought she was doing well when ‘White Van Man’ shouted at her out of the window to go home and stop causing an earthquake…but she never gave up.

Going out for a run at night in the pissing rain as she was slightly hungover that morning.

Forcing herself not to walk down the crisp and sweet aisle while all she wanted to do was scoff the lot.

Taking the extra time to plan her meals, look through recipe books and cook for herself.

Training herself to not take her phone and iPad to bed so she couldn’t be tempted to scroll and watch Netflix…as she wanted to prioritise her sleep.

Giving up the wine on the weekdays.

I KNOW how hard Janice has worked…and I think she is bloody brilliant. I admire anyone who creates consistency and then achieves what they set out to achieve…and it is NEVER because they are born with an extra internal organ called motivation!!!!!!

Rant over!

So anyway, back to the Spot The Urge Game!

Dr Julie, like I have said, explains that motivation is not something you have all the time, it comes and goes..for ALL of us.

She says it’s all about The Urge (I feel like I have to give it capital letters…like it’s a thing!) and when you spot it…then do the opposite.

An example she gave was her and her two sisters used to play ‘suck the polo’ and I am sure we all know how hard that is….she says it is a great way to train you to do the opposite of your urge!

Well let me tell you…Janice would be bloody brilliant at Spot The Urge game because just look at that list above…and then see how many times she had an urge…but then did the opposite.

She wanted a lie in – she got up

She wanted to press the snooze again- she got up.

She didn’t want to run because she was anxious about having not run for so long – she ran.

Her mind was telling her not to go out running because she worried what people think – she ran.

She did not want to go running in the evening rain as she had had her hair done that day – she ran.

She had a huge craving for crisps and sweets while shopping- she walked down the book and magazine isle and treated herself to a health magazine instead.

She was craving her habitual Friday night Takeaway – she cooked a healthy homemade version in half the time.

She wanted to watch her usual 2 hours of Netflix every night – she cancelled her subscription (A bit much that one, in my opinion!!).

She wanted her nightly glass of wine as soon as she sat down – she drank Alcohol Free fizz instead.

Urge after urge after urge…and they can be relentless. Yes, you are not going to win them all, but remember it is what you do MOST of the time that makes the biggest difference.

I would like to point out, even though I realise this email is in danger of becoming too long, that it is all about SPOTTING or NOTICING The Urge. (I would also like to point out that all this is now my elaboration on Dr Julies initial idea…you know how I love to put my own spin on things!)

A lot of people never even get as far as noticing The Urge, because they are too busy listening to their own bollocky bullshit excuses…

This could have been Janice’s reality…

She wanted a lie in – because she was tired after a late night (self induced) – so she did.

She pressed the snooze button 3 times – because it was raining outside and she didn’t like running in the rain – so she slept for another 30 minutes.

White Van Man was horrible – so she told herself that everyone will think like that – she stopped running.

She desperately wanted crips and sweets – she had done so well all week, and they were on offer – she bought both (3 for 2).

She wanted a Friday night Takeaway – A couple of friends were coming round so she couldn’t possible make her own, she didn’t have time and there was a world wide rice shortage) – she ordered a banquet for 6, even though there was 3 of them, just to be on the safe side.

She wanted proper wine on Wednesday night – she had had a shit day at work and had broken a nail – she stopped on the way home and got 2 bottles of Prosecco, and 2 bags of Tyrrells (my favourite).

Can you see why I get SO pissed off when people assume it has been easy for Janice…Janice is Superstar!

So back, yet again, the Spot The Urge!

I would love for you this week (well for ever really!) to SPOT your Urge…really NOTICE IT.

If you can do this, then you are already winning…so remember to congratulate yourself!!

Then once you have spotted it…do the opposite! (Feel free to re read Janice’s list above!)

Another suggestion I have is if you can’t do the opposite then do something different.

If you get a strong desire to eat Tyrrells at 3.12pm on a Wednesday afternoon while you are sat at your desk at home – do a minute plank instead.

If you want to go to your local Gelato shop and have your third ice cream of the week – go for a walk instead.

If you want your Mr Kipling French Fancy on a Thursday night when you are watching TV – do 3 minutes of exercise in the adverts instead of fast forwarding.

Here are the ones I have noticed just this week….

I was juicing yesterday and had the urge to have a Rowntrees Ice Lolly, it’s basically juice on a sugary stick, so would have been easy to justify it. I noticed the urge and made a lemon ginger zinger instead!

I only have one episode of Bodies on Netflix (It’s bloody ace!!) left to watch….I had a big urge to watch it in bed last night….I really noticed that it was an urge, so I shut the iPad, and read my book for 15 minutes.

I woke up at 3.00am and could not get back to sleep…I had an urge to pick the iPad up and watch the last episode of Bodies…I noticed the urge and meditated myself to sleep instead.

This morning I so didn’t want to do Caroline Girvan Weights workout after my early morning walk….the urge NOT to do it was HUGE…so I did it anyway!!

This notice the urge game works…I will repeat, it’s all about the noticing it…I don’t usually have an urge NOT to exercise…so I am paying attention to those times that I do.

I eat well quite a lot of the time…and I don’t have an urge to have a guilt free ice cream…I just have it and enjoy it….however I do notice the difference when it is an urge…and I will be paying attention to those.

So that’s it…for those of you who are still here, then sun hats off to you!

Start playing the game now, and get NOTICING those urges…and then take some opposite or different action.

I bet it will be interesting for you to realise just how many times in a single day you Spot The Urge…but remember, it is how many times you then do something different OR listen to your habitual bullshit excuses instead!