The short answer:
No one stays motivated forever, even the super fit and super successful. Those who have cemented their fitness regimen in a consistent routine have mastered the art of SELF DISCIPLINE, not motivation. When motivation is absent (which is often the case), self discipline takes the wheel. Just like a muscle, self discipline is completely trainable and rooted in your self efficacy, self worth, your values, and your principles.
- Remember WHY you started
- Spoiler alert: your “goals” are not your “why”. Your goals are just outcomes. Not having a deep enough WHY is the number one reason people quit or don’t stay consistent. You must do some deep thinking and ask yourself, “IF I accomplished my goal (i.e. lost 50 lbs and felt great), how would that make things different in my life?…..and how would that affect me?” You can go really deep within yourself and draw on this when you feel like giving up.
- Plan your workout time and stick to it
- ”show me your calendar & I’ll show you your future”
- Statistically the most successful people use a planner and calendar and stick to it. It’s easy with google calendar these days. You can set a reminder to go off before your “training event”
- Follow an actual training program you enjoy
- You likely won’t go if you don’t even know what you’re looking forward to. Not to mention, a random workout every day will not be as effective as a regimented program you adapt to. Layout something for 4-8 weeks and follow it exactly to see your results.
- Put on your clothes and shoes
- ”An object in motion tends to stay in motion while an object at rest tends to stay at rest.” This is why it’s SO hard to get back into the workout habit after you took some time off whether intentional or not. Just the act of getting dressed and putting on shoes will “get the ball rolling” so to speak, and it’s easier to make your body do what the mind doesn’t.
- Think about how you will feel after
- You get somewhat of a psychological “cocktail” of feeling good emotions after a workout and this is a natural antidepressant for many of us. Not to mention several physical benefits of strength training and conditioning.
- Have someone hold you accountable
- Unless you are highly disciplined (a trainable attribute). You should think about hiring a personal trainer, coach, or recruiting a consistent trusted friend to workout with you. Hiring a trainer is worth the investment because not only do you get to learn how to develop your own training (if/when you do it on your own), but money you spend on learning how to live a healthy lifestyle is more money you save on healthcare costs and medications for preventable and common metabolic diseases among those who do not eat properly and exercise regularly
If you need help on where to start with working out and nutrition, click here to book a 30 min call to see if I can help you reach your goals!