Staying motivated is one of the most common issues I hear people struggling with when it comes to staying on track with their fitness goals. I did a poll on my Instagram page a while back and the question I asked people was “who is still on track with their 2019 goals?”. It was late January. This is a time which is notorious for testing the new year new me mantra many people will have espoused just a few weeks earlier.
There were two possible answers to choose from. “100%” or “start back again on Monday”. Truth be told I cant remember the exact percentage split between the 2. It wasn’t overly in favour of one side or the other though. For those who had answered “start back again on Monday”, I was curious to know the reasons why they hadn’t managed to stick to their plans to achieve the goals they’d set.
STAYING MOTIVATED
I’ve been a Personal Trainer for quite some time so I had a pretty strong idea of what those reasons might be. There are some very common suspects that I see time and time again. Of the people from the instagram poll I contacted, one of those suspects predictably cropped up a few times. “I’ve just no motivation”.
The issue of staying motivated is one I deal with every single day. When I meet a client for a 1-1 session then it is likely there will be times in that session where they’ll be reliant on the extrinsic motivation. I can provide to get that extra 2, 3, sometimes even 10 extra reps they just didn’t think they had in them! I’ve done the same thing when clients contact me out-with sessions with some issues they’re having. If a bit of a pep talk is whats required to solve their issues then thats what we do.
However, the truth is that the vast majority of the guidance I provide clients is based around practical, actionable solutions to their problems rather than the ‘just keep going’ motivation you see on social media. Extrinsic motivation can only be present a small percentage of the day. It’s entirely unrealistic to expect you’ll be able to rely on it 24/7. There will be times where you just cant be arsed. It will happen!
5 TIPS FOR MANAGING MOTIVATION
So I’ve put together these 5 tips for helping with staying motivated that I’m seriously hoping will allow you to maximise the motivation around you but also empower you to have a realistic attitude towards just how significant a role you can really expect motivation to play in chasing your goals….
1. YOU WON’T ALWAYS BE MOTIVATED
You’ve been sold a bit of a lie on this one. Nobody can say, do or sell you anything that will have you fired up from the second your morning alarm rings until you’re head hits the pillow again that evening. You won’t always feel motivated. Read that last sentence again. Repeat it until it really sinks in.
So stop beating yourself up for lacking motivation! Accept that lacking motivation is normal and in doing this you simply wont be caught by surprise when motivation wavers.
2. ESTABLISH YOUR WHY
Knowing what you want to achieve isn’t always enough. Understanding the reason why can be key. Now, this isn’t actually as easy as it sounds! Sometimes it is nothing more intense than “I want to look my absolute best on the beach this summer”. Sometimes it’s a bit more uncomfortable than that and for that reason very few people really scratch beneath the surface with this one.
I’m not going to prod and pester you until you get there. However, if you can establish your why you will be armed with the type of internal motivation that might just be massively helpful in situations where you maybe feel a little bit tested. There’s no greater internal motivator in my opinion than having a very real, strong understanding of why you want to achieve your goal.
3. CONTROL YOUR ENVIRONMENT
Friends, family, colleagues, people you follow on social media. Some will influence you positively providing motivation and support. Some will not!
It’s important to note that people don’t always like change. They like their little social circles to remain a constant. Any signs of anyone making strides to better themselves within these circles aren’t always greeted with the type of affirmation you might expect.
Be wary of the type of influences you have around yourself. Any influences you find to be draining your energy may need to be limited or even avoided altogether.
4. GET ACCOUNTABILITY
There will be days where you simply can’t be arsed. Maybe it was a rough sleep the night before, stress at work or whatever. Today is that day though and it’s a struggle. Motivation is wavering and left to your own devices you might just give the gym a miss and get some comfort food ordered in. This is where you could really benefit from having someone to remind you of what needs done.
Accountability is like most other things in that it is individual specific. Some people will be very self accountable. If they say they are going to do something, they’ll do it (the lucky few in my experience). Some will benefit from the accountability of a friend, work colleague or family member. I’ve saw a number of people who join the gym with their friend in the hope that the fear of letting them down will be enough to push through on the tough days. Some will need to outsource this accountability further to really benefit from it. Having someone to whom they aren’t comfortable saying “start back again on Monday”.
5. CELEBRATE SMALL VICTORIES
We’re pretty good at belittling our achievements. We criticise ourselves and compare ourselves to others. We Focus on how far we still have to go and not on how far we’ve come.
Staying motivated isn’t just about looking forward. Make sure you take the time to give yourself the acknowledgement you deserve for each mile stone you reach in the process. No matter how small you might perceive it to be. It’s this simple reinforcement of progress that in itself can provide that extra motivation to keep going forward onto the next milestone.
