With summer around the corner, the annual quest for the summer body has officially begun. It's 7 am, you hear that god awful, repetitive PLING of your alarm nagging you to get up, wash your face, and throw on that dusty pair of sneakers you haven't touched since you said you were going to get in shape for spring break. I know this feeling, you know it, your friends know it, and everyone who strives for that dream body knows it. It's hard, and it seems nearly impossible. But what kind of Odyssey writer would I be if I didn't have a solution for this first world problem?

Throughout this semester, I have struggled with my fitness goals. If you are reading this now, I'm assuming you have as well. You go to sleep with the best intentions, three alarms set and shoes by the door, ready to hit the gym. When morning comes, the only thing you're motivated to "hit" is the snooze button. So what is the secret to following through with your intentions? This is the question I have been asking myself this past week in order to let you all in on it.

Pack your gym bag the night before

One of the most effective habits I have created in these last couple of weeks is packing a backpack the night before. Inside this backpack, I have all of my essentials: a full water bottle, a granola bar, headphones, keys, and wallet. Going to bed, I know that I will not have any excuse to search for my keys or pick out an outfit; thus gobbling up precious cardio time.

Jump out of bed

I suggest setting three alarms, five minutes apart. When the first one sounds, I challenge you to count down from ten. Sounds crazy, but try it. When you reach 0, stand up. Now that you are standing, force yourself to make your bed. This will subconsciously trick you into believing that you are ready for this day to begin.

Wake up with a chilling splash

The best way to wake yourself up is to shock your body. The easiest way to do this is by splashing cold water on your face or hopping into a chilly shower. When the cold water hits your skin, it will elicit a secretion of adrenaline thus pumping blood to your brain. Now you are awake and ready to kick that punching bags butt...You know what I mean.

Pump up your favorite gym playlist

Now that you are awake and that motivation from the night before is too, turn on your favorite hype playlist. You can listen to this in your room, your cold shower, or even your car as you drive to the gym. This will get your creative juices flowing and put you in the right mindset to get your blood pumping!

Positively reinforce your new habit

So you finally did it! Even if it's only the first day, that is an accomplishment! Now that you have proven to yourself that you are capable of following through with this morning routine, you must reward yourself. By rewarding your morning routines actions, you are positive reinforcing them and increasing the likelihood for repeating them tomorrow! Depending on who you are, this could mean a breakfast burrito in the morning or a good cup of coffee at a local coffee shop!