If you struggle to take the action steps and do the work required for meaningful change, then this is written specifically for you on how to get motivated.
Today, the problem is not lack of information. You already know how to get lean, to build muscle, earn more money, have better relationships, grow your business. The problem is we’re lacking the motivation to consistently apply what we know every day for meaningful and sustainable change to occur. Motivation is what’s missing. If from these articles, I can get you just a little more motivated, I’ll be getting you closer to your lean physique better than if I talked to you about fitness. You already have the knowledge (from exploring George Health). What YOU NEED, is to DO MORE.
My goal today is I want to show you how to get motivated, by helping you understand how your behaviour is created, and how you can change it. So let’s get started.
How to Get Motivated – Part 1: A New Perspective.
The first thing to understand is that we develop strong emotional motivation and willpower if we have a strong emotional drive. If we want to get things done, we must believe there is a good reason for doing it.
Having a reason is what makes the difference. Say you were running on the treadmill and I came up to you and asked what you were doing at gym today, would you say:
“I’m jogging because my PT told me to.” or would you say “I’m getting lean and fit so I can join my son in this years marathon.”
The way people respond to questions like this really interests me, and it tells a lot about the person. Two people could be doing the same activity, but for very different reasons. Having a desire, and a reason for doing something is the starting point of success.
To make any progress in life, is to make up our mind to do so, and to make a goal that we are passionate about. Already I hear you saying, “yeah yeah, here we go, more about goal setting.” But here’s the thing. You just need to find something thats truly inspiring to you.
“A good reason to start, is the start of all good achievements.”
Internal vs External Motivation
Related Article: Stop Holding Yourself Back
Finding your Motivation – You’ve already found it
You may think you have no idea why it’s worth starting a physique transformation. I believe however, that you could well have already found a strong motivational reason for change, but just aren’t aware of it yet. Seriously, think about this. You’re awake sixteen hours a day. What do you do with that time?
Yes, you’re doing something obviously, working, spending time with friends, spending time with family, playing sports. But now ask yourself, “how could improving my health, physical fitness or appearance also improve these areas of my life?” Pay attention to the different aspects of your current life. They’re right there in front of you, staring at you, but you’ve never been aware of them.
Here are some examples from what my clients have told me over the years.
Real Reasons from Real People
- I am able to be more active with my kids.
- My energy levels are greater and more stable throughout the day.
- I found I am able to focus more at work.
- My mobility and movement is really awesome now!
- I have far less aches and pains.
- I’ve motivated my friends to get healthy and fit too which feels really rewarding.
- Greater life expectancy. I learned people who are active and healthy live on average 14 years longer!
- Being active and mobile in my later years.
- I’m sure I now have a far stronger immunity, and I get ill much less often.
- My medical costs have dropped drastically from all the medication I was on.
- I feel more self confidence and pride, which my boss is noticing at work.
- My mood overall is improved. I used to get depressed a lot, but not any more.
- I didn’t feel good about myself before, now I feel awesome and my self esteem is high.
- I was diagnosed as pre-diabetic, and that scared my like crazy to change.
Here’s the thing. When you first think about your own personal reasons to improve yourself, initially nothing inspires you. Not everyone gets a sudden revelation to set a goal. In the beginning, the image of what you want will be unclear but something about it will be attractive to you. Also don’t worry if setting a big goal feels a little uncomfortable, again that’s normal. Excitement and discomfort should go hand in hand, because a good goal is one that excites you and scares you at the same time. Fear is a good indicator that your goal is big enough. You realise that you have to work a lot to get you from where you are now, to your goal.
Related Article: Setting Goals Based on Your Current Situation
Why Bother in the First Place?
What a good question! Why work so hard? Why should I change my habits? Why should I wake up early in the morning? Why bother to improve at all?
This question of “why” has haunted humanity for thousands of years. What is our meaning on this earth? Why are we here? In the end we are just some small people living in a vast universe, so what difference does our existence make anyway? It does make a difference. If you think about it, everyone is the centre of their OWN UNIVERSE.
The only thing you can experience is your own life, so make it a great life. Your life is your own universe, so live in it. As far as we know, there is no universal reason to do anything. Throughout time, the wisest people in history all agree it’s up to us to answers to these questions.
“The meaning of life….is to give life a meaning.”
Each person is motivated by something unique. For some it may be to provide great experiences for their kids, for others it may be retiring in a beach house, or setting foot on the moon. All of these goals have something in common, and is evident in all of nature and life around us. Evolution.
All life strives for expansion and development. We human beings have an innate desire to evolve as best we can. That’s why you’re reading this article, to develop and improve yourself. People want to travel the world, be muscular and lean, be successful and rich. We all want to experience more of life. It’s in our nature.
What Path will you Choose?
Each of us is given this choice. We can be and do enough to get by and feel ok, or we can strive to become all that we can be. Earl nightingale once said,
“We are at our very best, and we are happiest, when we are fully engaged and working hard on the journey towards a goal we’ve established for ourselves. It gives meaning to our time off and comfort to our sleep. It makes everything else in life so wonderful and so worthwhile.”
We set goals to force ourselves to grow. If our goal in life was to get by, spend time on social media and watch movies, we don’t have a reason to develop ourselves. If we want a lean physique, a good job, a nice house and a healthy family, we must grow. The challenges and hardships of achieving a big goal is what transforms you into an amazing person.
People often say they want to spend their lives doing nothing, and if they won the lottery, they would never work another day in their life. Really? Let me ask you a question.
Do you remember exactly what you did a year ago today? Was it a memorable day? Was it one of the best days of your life? Probably not. But do you remember a day last year you did a personal challenge, or went on an adventure? Maybe you hiked to the top of a mountain, or learn to surf, decorate your house, competed in a sports event. These are the days we remember and cherish.
Related Article: Choosing your Own Path
Self Motivation – The Obvious Choice
The honest truth is we aren’t happy when we aren’t doing anything. We feel our best when we overcome a challenge and grow from it. Even when playing computer games, we don’t want it to be too easy. Who would play a game that doesn’t have a challenge to it? Here’s a favourite quote of mine by Jim Rohn. He says,
“We must all suffer two things: the pain of discipline, or the pain of regret and disappointment.”
What we all must understand, is that pain and disappointment hurt far worse than discipline. Self discipline isn’t self punishment, it is a conscious choice. It means you are choosing between what you want right now, and what you want most. That’s what sacrifice means, choosing to give away something of a lower value today, to receive something of a higher value tomorrow.
At the beginning of value, is the desire, the love and the choice for self motivation. This is the road that leads to everything that makes life worth living. Few people understand that sacrifice and discipline are both positive. You don’t lose anything when you become disciplined and motivated. You don’t lose, you choose to let go. You are throwing away something that isn’t serving you, and replace it with something that is serving you.
Related article: Willpower – Win the War inside your Head
“You must choose between what you want NOW, and what you want MOST.”
Today’s Message – How to Get Motivated
You are learning how to get motivated, and in this first article I want to leave you with this:
“Self motivation and self discipline are not self punishment.”
When you set yourself a goal to improve your health and fitness, you are choosing happiness, freedom and peace of mind.
It’s happiness because motivated action is the opposite of stagnation. When you’re not stagnating in life, you’re growing, and growth is always equal to happiness.
It’s freedom because it gives you the power to do that you want, when you want it. You give your own orders, instead of having an authority telling you what to do.
Finally it’s peace of mind because it gives you the confidence you’re going to have a great and lasting future. If you put in the work every day, you know you’re going to be successful, and having this state of mind will dissolve fear and negativity from your life.
We all are here to evolve. To do that, we all consciously choose to give up certain daily activities and habits, to replace them with the action steps that achieve a big goal. That is the true answer on how to get motivated.
“When a man is sufficiently motivated, discipline will take care of itself.” – Albert Einstein.
Leave a Reply