Motivation can be such a fickle thing can’t it?
Sometimes it’s so strong! Sometimes it’s so weak. And sometimes it disappears without us realising how or why.
When this happens, it’s so important to know how to ‘get it back’ so you can be SELF-MOTIVATED.
Here are some powerfully simple ways to generate and maintain your very own motivation for health, fitness and for life in general.
- Stay focused on the BIG PICTURE
So many people feel disconnected from their purpose (or don’t know their internal drivers) and wonder why they quit a few weeks into a new diet or exercise program. The reality is, if you have a goal that involves more than a few weeks of commitment, some days you’ll feel like you’re winning, and some days you’ll feel like you’re losing and wasting your time. It’s on these days when you feel like giving up, that you need to be able to connect with you BIG WHY, i.e. the reason why you have a goal in the first place.
Health is a long game, and most of the time we need to do things in the present moment that are uncomfortable or mundane. If we cannot look forward into the future and see our desired outcome with clarity, we will have no motivation to do the hard things that must be done to get us there.
What is your big why?
- Hang out with the right people
Most people gain a huge amount of motivation by showing up and working alongside others. It’s not enough to just have a supportive family or friends. The most motivating relationships are going to be with people who are on the same journey as you, with similar goals to you, and learning to overcome the same hurdles as you.
We are a tribal species and we like to do things together. Your family might be cheering you on from the sidelines, but that is not nearly as motivating as going into battle with your comrades!
Who consistently shows up to be by your side when you are training and working hard on upgrading your health?
- Use a system that works
There’s nothing more demoralising than putting in effort that’s getting wasted on the wrong approach. If you’re not getting results, it’s hard to maintain motivation to keep going. Make sure that whatever system you’re following, it is right for your goals, for your body, and for your lifestyle. Because if you don’t have an effective and sustainable approach, you will eventually be forced to give up.
Whose system are you using? and how are you measuring your results? Is it working??
- Recognise and celebrate the small wins
Motivation needs to be constantly fueled by small wins. Big goals don’t just happen all of a sudden, they are realised one small step at a time. And each step gives us an opportunity to check in, make sure we are going in the right direction, and acknowledge how far we’ve come.
If we don’t make an effort to celebrate and bring joy, pride and a sense of achievement to the process, we squash any sense of motivation to move forward. The journey must be acknowledged, otherwise the destination becomes empty and unfulfilling.
Noticing and celebrating the small wins will also
- Give you confidence in the system you are using
- Create positive emotions and inspire you to keep going
- Demonstrate that your efforts are paying off and are worthwhile
Write down the small benchmarks or small steps that you need to hit along the way towards you big goal. Celebrate every time you reach a new step!
- Stay consistently energised and passionate
Energy and passion can be created from within through daily morning rituals. How you start your morning sets your mindset up for the entire day. If you create a consistent morning ritual that involves activities to inspire the mind, and nourish & energise the body, you will create a continual flow of motivation each and every day.
Try doing 10 minutes of meditation, breathwork or yoga first thing in the morning. Alternatively, you can write in a journal with the intention to create focus and connect with things you are grateful for and things that really matter to you. This is such a wonderful way to start the day.
When it comes to being self-motivated, there’s no right or wrong way to go about it, and different strategies work for different people.
But there is one hard rule that will guarantee phenomenal results
DO SOMETHING DAILY.
Motivation won’t just appear one day while we’re sitting on the couch watching TV.
We MUST create our own motivation.
So if you want consistent drive towards your goals, you have to create motivation daily. And the most effective way to do this is to create a ritual around it.
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