Motivation. Everyone has it, but some of us have a hard time finding where it lives within us. Others have great motivation when they start a goal, but it quickly runs out. So, how do we find the motivation to begin? How do we stay motivated? How do we push past our mental barriers and succeed?
What do you want and why?
Everyone is different, but one thing remains constant between each person: they have a desired outcome. First, we have to decide what that desired outcome is. Do you want to gain mass? Do you want to lose body fat? Do you want to be able to keep up with your grandchildren? Do you want to have more energy throughout the day? There’s an endless amount of outcomes that people want to achieve in their life with fitness but you have to pick the one that motivates YOU. Dig deep and ask yourself what you REALLY are doing this for? Maybe you want to lose body fat. This is a great goal, but we need to dig deeper. Why do you want to lose body fat? Maybe it’s because you want to be more attractive to your significant other. We need to find your intrinsic reason for wanting this outcome. If we don’t dig deep and find the real reason you are working towards a goal, then the goal is more superficial and will not have as much of an impact on what you choose to do everyday to progress.
What motivates you?
Motivation is something that I’m very interested in personally. I seem to have moments of extreme motivation, mixed with moments where I couldn’t care less if I hit my goals or not. I’ve dug deep into this topic to see what works for people and what makes people decide to start acting on their goals, here’s what I’ve found inspires people to make a change:
- Looking at old pictures of themselves: Whether it’s because you used to be in such great shape or you used to weigh 50lbs more than you do now, using your own experiences is one of the best ways to get motivated.
- Striving for greatness: A lot of people have told me that they don’t want to be average or to just settle. They want to prove people wrong and show the world what kind of impact they can have. These types of people are some of the most motivated to succeed. They have a fire within them that could stem from parts of their life earlier on, or maybe come from a personal experience they are experiencing right now. Either way, they have something to prove and they do not want to let themselves down.
- Family and Friends: Many people mention that they want to be able to keep up with their kids, significant other, etc. They also want to remain as independent for as long as possible so that they do not become a burden to those they love.
- Realizing they have the power: This reason is the most interesting and powerful to me. When people finally realize that they have the power to control their life and their fitness level, it can be freeing! Some people are told all their life “the whole family is big so you will be too. Everyone has diabetes or heart problems in the family, so you will too”. Many people except this fate because it seems unlikely to end any other way. Once someone realizes that they can not be contained to a single preconceived idea, they are now free to cut loose from that stereotype and become the person they want. They have the power to change their life. They might need help doing so, but they still are the one to make decisions for themselves.
Deciding the begin your fitness journey can be one of the most frightening, intimidating, and most rewarding choices of your life. I can promise you that you will not regret this decision. I challenge you to find YOUR motivation and your reason why, and then finally act on it. You CAN do this!