Fitness motivation
I hate to break this to you, but motivation has to come from within. I know you want to just close this window and go about your search for motivation but just hold on one second and just hear me out. If you are reading or searching for this topic, I’d guess that you are struggling either to start or stick with your program.
Sure, you can get temporary motivation from being inspired by someone’s physique on social media. Or brief motivation when you are starting something new. Or even after hearing some enthused speaker convince you that you can do it.
You may find yourself thinking that you expect your spouse, friend, partner, coach, trainer, etc motivate you. But…..again – everything external will only provide passing motivation. Think about it…..has any external motivation forces lasted long term? If this answer is yes, I doubt you would be here reading this. You would have already reached your goal and would not need to be reading an article about motivation – you would already know the secret.
So you may ask, “So how do I get motivated and stay motivated then?”
You take action. When you take action you will begin to feel motivated. If you wait to be in the mood, not only will you be waiting for a really long time, but your moods will come and go causing your efforts to stop and go with your emotions.
Here are some actions you can take to keep you going towards your goals.
Make a plan/goal. Writing down your goal and your plan to get there will help you to commit to what exactly you want and how you plan on getting there.
Create time lines with rewards. Creating reasonable timelines will help you stick with your program. Attaching a reward system to reaching your goal may help motivate you. Buying a nice outfit, getting a manicure or massage are some ideas.
Join a group. Whether it’s friends, group class, or online support – having the accountability will help you to stay on track.
Make it fun. Be flexible with your routine. Try different sports or activities that you may enjoy or even incorporate family time into fit time by playing games with them.
If finding time is difficult – try making activity part of your daily routine. Walking stairs, parking further, planking or jump jacks during commercials. (but hey, if you have time to watch tv – you have time to exercise) J
Find a coach or mentor - find someone who is experienced with the habit you are trying to change. They’ve know what you are going through and know what works/doesn’t work. Instead of recreating all the effort and time spinning your wheels – get help.
You can absolutely reach your goals….just gotta take the first step and keep moving. The only way you can fail – is if you quit.