It’s no secret that everyone wants to succeed! You’re one of a few that’s willing to go the extra mile, a step that manifests great leaps.
Building your fitness foundation is essential to staying on track and #snatching that waist.
BUT I know motivation can seem like a huge roadblock sometimes.
What is motivation? It’s a process that aids goal oriented behaviors.
Motivation is your WHY
Motivation is based on your reason for wanting to make a positive change in your life.
If you’re waking up early, to get in the gym and working on becoming a better person...what is the reason why? The end result.
Why are you doing these activities? Why are you trying to make a positive change in your life?
Some people do it for themselves. Other’s for children or loved ones…
No matter what the reason is, knowing your why is a part of reaching goal…
…but sticking to it every single day? That’s discipline.
There are two elements needed to reach success and motivation can’t stand alone.
Motivation = Why (Reason For the Goal)
Discipline = How (Action Needed to Reach Goal)
3 years ago I decided to work towards getting rid of any mental illnesses I had so I could perform physical and mental tasks without depression, anxiety and mania weighing me down.
I paired that with the discipline of cutting out foods with toxic ingredients and alarming side effects one by one and eating cheating only on the weekends…
The result was fulfilling and gave me a type of motivation I rarely experienced.
There’s two types! Intrinsic & Extrinsic Motivation.
Extrinsic Motivation is the opposite and is usually the result of fear based worries or feeling forced to do something in order to avoid a consequence.
Example: She wakes up every day to go to a job she hates so she won’t be broke.
This type of motivation is short lived mostly because the person experiencing it doesn’t enjoy the steps being taken towards the goal and only focuses on what could happen if the task wasn’t done.
Whereas Intrinsic Motivation lasts longer because the actions you take to work towards your positive change (or goal) are fulfilling and enjoyable.
Example: She wakes up everyday to go to a job she loves because she enjoys the work and the outcome.
Intrinsic Motivation is how I changed my mindset and diet from 9 years of severe depression to 3 years healthy and well.
During my journey mindfulness and research became my best friends and I really focused on how I felt before and after I ate and how I slept.
I went from feeling mentally sluggish, slow, physically exhausted and taking several naps throughout the day to being full of energy and rarely ever needing a 20 minute power nap.
As far as sleep I got more rest, I relaxed enough to fall asleep quicker, I went from getting 4 hours of sleep to getting 6 and 7 hours.
The biggest improvement was feeling a new level of focus and I wasn’t running around crazy with mood wings….a HUGE win I recognized within the first week and it strengthened my intrinsic motivation to keep moving forward.
The scale can fluctuate while working on your fitness goals so look for these signs of changes during your journey instead:
- Sleep
- Mental Clarity
- Getting Sick Less
- Higher Energy Levels
- Hormonal & Emotional Balance Balance
Remember the equation below and plug in your own goal with your why and how.
Your Goal = Why (Your Motivation) + How(Your Discipline)
There’s nothing wrong with reevaluating your goal or how you get there either; it's never a step backwards to improve from trial and error.