Put yourself in the mood.

Do you need to be in the mood, inspired, to do certain things? Get your mind out of the gutter, I mean things like focusing on a project or exercising.

We can put ourselves in the mood, we just have to notice the triggers that make a difference. I have read several studies that have linked music with improvements in length and intensity of exercise. But I don't need the studies because I know it is true for me.

As you know, I have started jogging again. S-L-O-W-L-Y. What I mean is that I am combining walking briskly and running and working up my time running. Still a long way from running 10Ks again.

But here's the thing. I have found the perfect starter music. I have them on my light-as-a-feather ipod shuffle and it's great. Want to know the set I am high on right now?

These tunes set the right pace and are perfect.

Gonna Be Some Changes Made - Bruce Hornsby
Bang on the Drum All Day - Todd Rundgren
Relax - Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Hit me with Your Best Shot - Pat Benatar
Love Shack - B-52s
Home - Marc Broussard
What About Everything - Carbon Leaf
Boogie Down - Al Jarreau
Spider's Strategem - Dead Can Dance
On my Way Home - Enya

How's that for eclectic! What do you do to get yourself in the mood?

Comments

[Adrian Savage]

It's nice to be "in the mood," but allowing action to depend on how you feel isn't so positive.

The best piece of advice I've had comes from Zen Buddhist thought. It stresses seeing what needs to be done and doing it, regardless of how I feel at the time. We do too much thinking about how we feel. Action is what counts.

[Lisa Haneberg]

Adrian - Action is critical, sure, but if you can enhance the action and enjoy it more, that's a good thing.