Motivation – like time, it’s fleeting!
The most common (and honest) reason I’ve heard for people walking away from their fitness goals is lack of motivation. “I’m just not motivated anymore”…”I just CBF anymore” are common dropout lines.
But here’s the truth about motivation. It’ unrealistic to expect that you’ll feel motivated 100% of the time. Nobody does! I’ve been training for nearly fifteen years now and I can tell you I’ve had plenty of occasions during that time when I felt a complete lack of motivation. This is when the excuses can easily start to get between you and your goals. Between you and your ‘why’ and in the way of your initial motivation for getting started. It’s too cold. It’s too hot. I’m too busy. I’m too tired. And the list goes on. I’ve heard them all!
So here’s three ‘secrets’ for staying on track when motivation jump squats out the window;
- Your best training partner is a really strong ‘why’. Your reason for better nutrition and exercise. Like passwords, they need to be strong. Your ‘why’ should fiercely resonate on an emotional level. Mine were based around longevity and my kids. I wanted to be a good example for my kids. And I wanted to be around for as long as I could for them. I also wanted to give myself the best chance at a longer, healthier life. Your ‘why’ should have the power to get you out of bed for that early morning sesh. It should have the power to push you out of your comfort zone. It should inspire you to become comfortable with being uncomfortable.
- Your training needs to become as non-negotiable event as regular showers. We don’t wait to be motivated to take a shower, even though it’s cold. Or because we just can’t be bothered. Not for long anyway! We just do it because we know it’s a non-negotiable to take care of our hygiene. So why would we consider that taking care of our health and fitness is negotiable?
- Make your training sessions an unbreakable appointment for yourself! When I decided I was going to make a forever change to my health and fitness, my training times became unbreakable appointments. There had to be a dire emergency for me to break that appointment. This one may come with resistance from friends and family when you start being less available but my perspective on that is that nobody that truly cares about me and what I need would disrespect my desire to be a happier, healthier version of myself.
We’d love to hear what your ‘why’ is for your training! Tell us in the comments and inspire others to find that powerful ‘why’!
