Why Motivation Doesn’t Work & What to Do Instead
Motivation is often based on emotion or feeling.
How often has the alarm gone off and all you want is to roll over, sleep in and not go to work, but you got up and went anyway!? Exactly!
If we acted solely on how we feel, we probably wouldn’t have a job, a business or a marriage anymore. Feelings come and go, they fluctuate quickly and life would be incredibly dramatic if we followed every whim. When it comes to our health, weight-loss and fitness goals we can tend to do just that; relying only on the feeling of motivation to eat healthily or exercise. This doesn’t lead to a stable lifestyle, vitality, or long term results.
What to Do Instead: Engage inconsistent actions that build new habits, no matter how unmotivated you might feel. Another word for this? Discipline! Training yourself to stick to your habits is a better way to create a new lifestyle, and it helps when we have a friend or coach helping to keep us accountable!
Motivation often comes from outside yourself.
Motivation is best when it comes from the inside. Your heart, your purpose, your reason for wanting something has longevity because it is what matters to you! External motivation is more fleeting because, as we know, things can change very quickly. Things pop up, excuses come into play, and we’re backing off of our healthy habits before we know it.
What to Do Instead: Ask yourself what the real reasons are for wanting to be healthier. Why you want to be fitter, leaner and stronger? Why is it important for you to lose those unwanted pounds?
Motivation needs to be refilled every day.
Sometimes it’s a quote, a book we read, a song on the radio, a story we heard, a video we watched, or a podcast that gives us a little push in the right direction. We suddenly feel motivated to do something we weren’t before, and this isn’t a bad thing! By all means USE it, but don’t rely on it.
Why? Because motivation is like a good cup of coffee; it needs a refill constantly. Motivation doesn’t work if it runs out on us!
What to Do Instead: Be purposeful about using those motivational tools. start your day off right with your favorite music, meditation, a motivational podcast, or an audio to get you up and motivated to start the day. Grab a motivational book to read at lunch and end your day with gratitude and intention, outlining your goals for the next day.
These are great ways to stay on track with all your goals, not just your health goals!
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