It happens with predictable frequency, beginning in October. The mornings are colder, and much, much darker, and though my workout doesn’t know the difference, my mind and body certainly do. The alarm sounds, I fumble for the snooze button using the only arm that isn’t completely numb and tingly, decide ten more minutes won’t hurt anything, and fall back asleep. Ten minutes later, I reason that I could just go for a shorter run today. Ya, ten more minutes of sleep won’t hurt. Then, ten minutes later, I convince myself that there’s a reason I’m this tired – maybe I need the sleep more than my workout? This time, I don’t hit the snooze – I turn the alarm off! I lie in bed debating the benefits of sleep versus the workout. A full hour after the first alarm sounded, I am neither rested, or exercised. I am, however, mad at myself for letting another morning slip away. The warm bed wins again, and now I’m forced to squeeze in a workout some other time during my already jam-packed day. Ack! Wouldn’t it have been easier to just get out of bed in the first place?

Sound familiar?

See, even personal trainers have trouble dragging themselves out of bed in the morning to exercise. ;0) I have a few mental tricks that I employ when I need a kick in the pants, and quite possibly one of them will work for you as well.

1. As soon as the alarm sounds, turn it off. Don’t give yourself the snooze option. Then, visualize your day, beginning with the first item on the “to do” list, which is to exercise. Think about how good you’ll feel mid-morning knowing that the big rock has already been added to the glass. And if you’re thinking, what does a rock in a glass have to do with anything…pick up a copy of Steven Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

2. Make a mental list of all the “pros” of getting up to exercise versus staying in bed. This works for me 9 times out of 10. When the only reason for staying in bed is to sleep another thirty or forty minutes, it pales in comparison to the long list of “pros” to working out (having more energy all day, feeling healthy and strong, starting the day off on the right foot…).

3. Visualize your workout. That’s right, before you toss the sheets aside, spend a minute mentally going through your workout. Sometimes seeing yourself doing something positive is enough to start your engine.

4. Promise yourself that if you get up and exercise, you can reward yourself with a “sleep in” day later in the week. In other words, front load your week with workouts, then at the end of the week, if you feel like skipping one, you have wiggle room to do so.

5. Have a goal. I find that it is much easier to roll out of bed when I’m training for a running event. There is something about a deadline, and the desire to compete well, that motivates me much more than exercising just because I know I should.

6. This is obvious, but getting to bed early and sleeping well go a long way toward improving the odds you’ll get up with the first alarm. Sleep deprivation and morning workouts don’t mix. Set yourself up for success by nodding off early.

7. Set a goal of getting up X-number of mornings, just this week. Keep the focus on the next seven days, rather than FOREVER. Then, do the same thing next week. Soon enough you will have a workout streak spanning several weeks, then months, then a year. It will be a habit, and you won’t remember a time when you didn’t exercise in the morning.

Are you stuck in a fitness routine that leaves you drained, rather than invigorated? Has your weight plateaud after months of good results? Are you finding excuses to skip the gym?

Believe it or not, this is quite normal. Novice exercisers and gurus alike have experienced a “rut” more than once during any given fitness program.

So, how do you stay motivated under such circumstances and create a habit that will last a lifetime, rather just a few more weeks?

The key lies in these 4 steps:

Write down everything you like and dislike about your current routine. For example: Do you like how you feel after a workout? Do you like the tranquility and stress-free rhythm of running outdoors? Or, do you dislike giving up something else, such as a favorite television show, or an afternoon by the pool, in order to fit your exercise session in?

Next, add weight to the items on your list. That is, give each of your responses a numeric value equating it with how important it is. For instance, one of the things I like about exercise is the high I experience after a long run. I rank this an 8 or 9. I occasionally don’t like the time commitment, especially if it means I have to get up early in the morning to get the run in. I rank this a 6. My 8 outweighs the 6, so for now, I choose to focus on what I like about the workout (feeling good), as opposed to what I don’t like (getting up earlier to fit it in). By focusing on the positive outcome, my motivation for doing it remains high.

Consider a lifestyle approach to exercise and healthy eating. Rather than view your routine as an 8-12 week plan of attack, look at the bigger picture – aim to get 30 minutes of moderate physical activity each day. This could be a daily, family walk after dinner, or a 15-minute walk in the morning and a 15-minute walk in the evening.

Make sure your goals are realistic. Nothing zaps motivation faster than goals that are out of reach. First, assess where you are now. If you are just beginning a regular exercise program, having a goal of running a marathon in 3 months is probably unrealistic. An 8-month marathon training plan would be a safer, more realistic timeline to have.