One time, I ran 50 miles (they don’t call me the Reman Runner for nothing!). Shortly thereafter I took a much-needed break but have since found it hard to start again, even months and months later. Don’t get me wrong, I love running. It’s my thing. But once you’re out of a well-honed habit and subsequently out of shape, watching Netflix on the couch often seems like the way better (and certainly easier) option.
Luckily, I somehow landed in a workplace where I coincidentally found myself surrounded by others often willing to suffer by means of physical exertion. While I still can’t seem to find my motivation on my own anywhere, no matter how hard I search and dig, and search and dig some more, I’ve uncovered the secret to fast-tracking my training. And that secret? Friends.
A few months ago, I was somehow coerced (read: my extreme fear of missing out ((FOMO)) kicked in and I wanted in immediately) by some coworkers to partake in my first multisport event: a duathlon wherein we ran 2 miles, biked 20, and ran 2 more. That piqued my motivation for about a week or so. Then, yet again, I found it waning. I thought about working out, but more often thought about eating ice cream.
Enter the King of Cataloging stage right, who both became my neighbor when I moved to a new area earlier in the year and my work out buddy. I was still finding it difficult to commit to an early morning run, but when someone is waiting at 5 AM for me to show up, it’s a lot harder to make excuses to bail. Accountability turned out to be key. If I let myself down, I only let myself down. But if I don’t show up for a scheduled run at the very literal crack of dawn with someone else? I let them down, too.
Not surprisingly, the same can be said for work. If I let my work ship sink, not only am I treading water on my own, the whole team is going down with me. If I let something slip through the cracks, it’s likely someone else will end up being on the receiving end of an angry call with a customer taking the heat for my mistake. The motivation behind my hard work at work? Taking pride in being a part of a team who are all putting in the same work and ready and willing to own up to their mistakes as soon as they realize they’ve made them. It’d be a lot easier to become careless if I were the only one who had to deal with my carelessness.
What do you do when you find yourself lacking motivation?
When you find it hard to start, or find yourself starting over and over… and over?
How do you manage to keep yourself culpable?
Try this: find yourself a confidant to keep you accountable. Find your team, find your people, find the ones who care about your success as much as you care about your success. Let them elevate you when you’re having trouble elevating yourself. None of the above is ever easy, but all of the above is important and worthwhile – in work and in life.

Once upon a time, a girl who ran 50 miles straight found it hard to start again. Finding motivation and keeping accountable? It’s tough. And even tougher if you’re going it alone. How do you keep yourself on track? Comment below or reach out to Rani directly.