Motivation Needed?

One of the most common statements I hear is “I just wish I was more motivated to workout”. I want to say “DUH! Me too!”. It is rare to meet a person who just can’t wait to go to the gym and workout every single day of their life. While there are some rare breeds (not sure what breed they are because they surely can’t be human!), but I do know they exist. However, I would venture to say most of my human friends go to the gym strictly out of self-discipline, as a result of purposefully creating healthy habits.

Sadly, many people wait for the magical warm and fuzzies to happen – and they are still waiting (and will be waiting until the day they die) because, chances are, that motivating miracle will never come.

While different people are motivated by different things, it seems to me that tight pants, poor self-esteem, depression or stress would be pretty motivating to someone who is overweight. Unfortunately, that doesn’t always do it for people. There even some people who’s life is at risk due to poor health, and sometimes that doesn’t even do it for them.

Interestingly enough, feeling bad and being unhealthy may not even be what gets someone sweating. Sometimes it’s plain old greed – we want what others have. We look at their fit bodies and use our “I want that” nature for our own advantage to push us to work harder. Other times it’s looking at someone else’s success story that gives us the encouragement we need to think for just one minute we might be able to have it too.

Even if you do wake up one morning feeling disgusting enough to start working out, eventually you’ll feel good about yourself again – and it might happen way before you hit your goal.

Whether you are motivated or not, one thing you should realize up front is even the most magical motivation isn’t something you should ever rely on. Even if you do wake up one morning feeling disgusting enough to start working out, eventually you’ll feel good about yourself again – and it might happen way before you hit your goal. You may have big hopes and wake up so excited to aim high, and eventually begin to settle for less. It happens to the best of us.

The fact of the matter is “motivation” is a feeling, and feelings are NOT something you should EVER rely on. They lie to you, they fluctuate and they are not trustworthy at all. You need to ONLY rely on your decisions and your commitment. As soon as you realize that your success hinges on your actions, no matter what your feelings are, then you will be on the road to success.

Make a commitment today to start ignoring your feelings and focus on your actions, focus on your goals and focus on your progress. You can’t control your feelings at all times, but you can control how you react. Start preparing your mind for a successful 2015.