Last week I had a (free, as always) opening strategy call with a new person. A few days later she sent me a note that said, in a nutshell:
“After years of listening to endless advice from so many emotional eating gurus, in half and hour you hit the nail right on the head.
You gave me great advice, but I am not implementing it.
It seems like I need to reach a point where I’m willing to commit to changing before I waste any more time or money. But then I feel so defeated, that it’s hard to summon enough energy or hope to take any steps that would be beneficial.”
And I said….uh-oh.
Fitness Motivation
Waiting to feel motivated before you do anything is a guaranteed way to never do anything.
The glue on our butts is mighty.
We are creatures of habit and comfort, and we generally don’t like to do anything differently.
Even if what we’re doing is hurting us.
So if you’re waiting for some kind of motivation to appear out of the air, or if you’re waiting until “things calm down and get less crazy”, you will be waiting forever.
Read that sentence again, please.
Waiting for motivation is an endless wait game.
Finding Motivation
ACTION is what gives birth to motivation.
When you start DOING something (instead of waiting), that’s when your feelings – your inertia – start to improve.
Waiting for emotional inertia to improve, and then doing something is totally backwards.
Because it doesn’t work that way.
So try these motivation-making techniques:
Fitness Motivation Techniques
Motivation Method #1 – One foolproof win
Pick one healthy action that is stupidly simple. Something you could totally do in your sleep.
- Walk up and down the driveway for 2 minutes after dinner before you crash on the couch.
- Set an alarm on your phone to stand up and take a 30-second stretch break at work.
- Get up and march in place during one TV commercial.
- Throw out half the french fries before you start eating lunch.
Any little action that can guarantee you a win.
It will feel great, I guarantee it.
And chances are, you’ll feel motivated to do it (or something similarly easy) again soon.
Motivation achieved!
Motivation Method #2 – Act as if
For a day, you get to be an actor! Put yourself in the mindset of a lean, healthy person. Make decisions that character would do.
Ask yourself “What would a lean, healthy person do here?”
- A lean, healthy person would plan out his or her food for the day in advance.
- A lean, healthy person would skip dessert after dinner.
- A lean, healthy person would take a quick walk or do some crunches to relieve stress, instead of eat donuts.
Just act as if for one day.
It’s pretty easy since you’re making such a short-term commitment.
Put by the end of the day, you’ll probably feel pretty good about yourself.
You may be motivated to try a second day.
BAM! Motivation achieved.
In summary:
Fitness motivation comes from DOING something good for yourself.
It doesn’t appear out of nowhere.
Don’t sit around and wait for motivation to appear — use the methods above to create it!
And if you want our help making great things happen, just drop us a note. Having a personal trainer or a nutrition coach is one of the best ways to maintain fitness motivation. We’re here to help you become your best self, whether that’s in-person in Nashville or virtually anywhere in the world!