How can you get it? Where do you find it? What happens when it's gone? Why do some people seem continuously motivated?
Let's "talk" about it!
As a health, fitness, and nutrition professional I have this conversation multiple times a week, every week.
"I know what I need to do, I just can't seem to get motivated!"
or
"I start out doing so well and then I just can't seem to stick with it no matter how hard I try! I start out motivated and then I just sort of tank."
I get it! I've been there. Trying to stay motivated is hard.
Actually, I would say it is impossible.
Not to be cocky, but I have the solution to your motivation problems.
Your solution is: You can't rely on it. Don’t wait for it. Motivation is not the key to your success.
I understand at a deep human level the desire to be motivated. Of course we want that!
It seems it’s that spark that ignites the fire. You see other people that seem to have it all together. They stick to their fitness routine, they are "always" eating healthy (spoiler alert: You see what people WANT to show you on social media! That goes for every single one of us!) They have got to be motivated. Right?
Here’s the problem with motivation…it’s fleeting.
It’s here one minute and gone the next.
Relying on motivation is like relying on that “friend” who is never really there when you need them. You learn pretty quickly not to count on them right?
It’s the same with motivation.
Have you ever read the book The War of Art by Steven Pressfield?
It’s all about fear, self doubt, and the resistance we create in our minds and how to win those battles within ourselves. It’s a great read if you are a creator in your line of work or struggle to do the things you know you need to do. In the book he talks about how the most important thing you can do to get to where you want to be is to sit down every day and do the work.
It’s the same with your health.
Nothing else matters except putting forth the effort every day.
Feelings aside. Emotions aside. You just have to do it. No motivation needed.
Riding the Wave of Routine and Habits
Have you ever wondered how some people make health and fitness look so easy? It's not because they have an endless supply of motivation.
It's because they've built routines and habits over months and years.
These routines have become part of their lifestyle and identity.
I guarantee you that the person that pops into your head as the picture perfect model of health is not relying on motivation.
They're tapping into the power of consistency.
Does It Scare You?
Does it make you nervous to start something new? To make a change to improve your health? To do what you know you need to do?
Fear is GOOD!
It’s a GOOD sign.
Fear is an indicator. It tells us what we have to do.
The more scared we are to do something, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.
When it's hard, when you're scared, when you don't want to – that's when you know you have to put your feelings, emotions, and energy aside and just do it.
Action precedes motivation, not the other way around.
And you need to do it in some respect every single day.
It’s time to look at your health journey as a daily battle. The greatest part? Victory is there for you if you commit to consistent effort and not rely on fleeting motivation. These words may seem a bit harsh and a bit like tough love, and it a way they are. On the other hand, we are a society who has been sold sugar coated lies on how to get healthy and how we can achieve our goals without putting the blood, sweat, and tears in that it takes to get there. I am not here to tell you what you want to hear or give you the secret to being motivated, I am here to tell you what is going to work for you so you can stop wasting your time sitting around waiting to be motivated and get up and do the damn thing already!
A gentle reminder though, that there is no value in feeling bad about what you’ve done (or haven’t done) in the past.
But there IS value in taking control of your situation now and realizing that YOU have the power to take action and change.
If this message resonated with you, I want you to do me a favor:
Commit to doing ONE thing today that you don’t want to do…that you aren’t motivated to do.
Put your feelings, emotions, and lack of motivation aside and JUST GET IT DONE!
After you do that, I want you to email me and tell me about it!
Your life is out there waiting for you to live it, now let's go!