I believe that motivation is where it all starts.   To get into shape, you have to be 
      motivated in one way or another.  Once you've started, you have to continously 
      be motivated to progress and improve your physique.  Sounds easy enough - 
      but for me however, motivation is the the most difficult thing to maintain.  Like 
      all other people who exercise, I get into spells where I completely loose my 
      motivation to continue working out.  So, I try and do different things to change 
      that.  Here are some of them: 

      Looking in the Mirror 

      This is one of those weird motivators that works in different ways to just about 
      everybody.  More specifically, the same person can be motivated in different 
      ways by looking into the mirror depending on what their body is like presently, 
      their state of mind, etc.  For example, when I was overweight, I looked in the 
      mirror and wanted to change my physique.  So, I got motivated to do 
      something about it.  Once I started seeing results (after being dedicated for a 
      while), I'd look in the mirror and get motivated to continue because of the 
      progress I've made, and how much further I can take it.  In other words, when I 
      started to gain improvements, I'd smile and get motivated to do even better.  
      Of course, I try not to take myself too seriously.  :-) 

      Muscle Magazines 

      Whenever I start to loose interest in working out, I'll buy a muscle magazine and 
      flip through the pages.  I get motivated (really envious) by seeing great bodies.  
      Also, I get motivated to try all the new and different ways to exercise muscle 
      groups.  These magazines have lots of suggestions on exercises, nutrition, 
      supplements, rest, sleep, etc. 
 

      On Your Own 

      There are many ways to get motivated.  You've just got to figure out which one 
      works best for you.  If you get to a point where you feel you need to take a 
      break from your workouts, do it.  Apparently, taking "breaks" once in a while is 
      good anyway.  However, use that time to examine what you've been doing and 
      how you can improve your workouts once you get started again.