Recently I’ve had some inquiries about how I manage to stay so motivated. Achieving and maintaining motivation is a frequent discussion throughout the fitness community. I just wanted to share a few of my thoughts regarding motivation with you all.

Generally speaking, motivation is highest when someone first sets a goal. You decide you want to lose some weight, run a 5k, eat healthier, climb a mountain, etc. These are exciting goals to set and that excitement will usually carry you through a few weeks of motivated training or focus on your goal. But what happens when you encounter a setback of some kind? That’s when it becomes easy to make excuses. “I just don’t have the time…” “I’m too tired..” “It’s too hard…” “I can’t do this…”

These internal monologues and possibly comments from others who don’t understand or appreciate our goals can make it easy to skip just this one workout or to make an unplanned detour from our diet. When you allow it to happen once, it makes it easier to continue down that road. For me, on days when I just don’t feel like doing my workout, or I’m tempted to shove a cookie in my face (not saying it never happens), I must remember my “why.” It’s called motivation for a reason. What’s your motive? What is your reason for deciding to go for whatever goal you have set for yourself? When your “why”, your motive, is more important to you than any possible excuse or temptation, you will remain motivated. There is nothing more powerful than a human being with purpose. With purpose you can overcome any obstacle.

Along with purpose and motivation, I find that there are two other necessities to keep me focused on my goals: discipline and dedication. It’s been scientifically proven that will power becomes depleted by the end of the day. That can make it really difficult to get a workout in or make healthy food choices in the evening (or morning for all my night-shifters). Sometimes, it becomes difficult to remain focused on your “why” when it’s so much easier to just order take out, stop at a fast food place, get a quick meal in and hit the hay when we had plans to get a workout in and eat a healthy meal to refuel. This is when motivation on it’s own may not be enough. This is when you must become disciplined enough to do what it is you set out to do anyway. When I get home from a busy day at work, the last thing I want to do is start a workout. I’d much rather sit on the couch. However, I know that won’t help me reach my goals.

Ultimately, what I find helps me to stay motivated, focused, disciplined and dedicated is to ask myself one question. Will this help me reach my goals? Will skipping my workout help me reach my goals? Will eating this cookie help me reach my goals? On rare occasion, if my body needs a rest or my soul needs feeding the answer to those questions is yes. Most of the time, however, the answer is no. Workouts are completed, healthier choices are made, and I am one motivated step closer to my goals.Asking yourself this question is a great way to remove subjective feelings from the equation, and to focus on the objective answer.

Finally, working with another person to reach your goals is a great way to help keep yourself accountable. If motivation and dedication is something you struggle with, don’t hesitate to reach out and we will find a way to help you reach your goals!