I hear people say all the time that they have a motivation problem with exercising. I think people have this motivation issue all wrong.
Those I hear claiming they aren’t motivated are not ignorant people. In fact, the group I often hear this from are fellow health professionals who attend my national seminars! From healthcare to non-industry folks, almost all are clearly aware that exercise and proper nutrition together can reduce the risks of the most debilitating conditions and diseases, and improve every aspect of life, from more productivity at work, to improved strength, to better sexual performance and more. The “unmotivated” are not often lazy people either. They have raised kids, started businesses, volunteered, etc.
Is Anyone Really Motivated to Exercise?
The fact is that few people are actually motivated to exercise. Sure, sometimes we watch the Olympics, see an old person running laps, have an upcoming reunion or wedding, or get a health scare, and that jump starts our motivation. But this is often fleeting. Some refers to this as extrinsic or external motivation. It really makes sense that most of us are not intrinsically motivated to exercise. It goes against the pleasure reward principle, at least on first look. The perception is that exercise is not enjoyable, it doesn’t produce immediate results, and it requires pain and suffering to some extent. Motivation – Are We Going The Wrong Way
Many people are looking to be motivated. They are waiting for something to happen – some spark of wisdom or magic solution that shuttles them into world of fitness and nutrition bliss.
I think that is backwards. What happens first is some emotion, validated by rationale, nudges you reluctantly into action. Now this is critical…when that action quickly produces a result that you can feel, measure, and even see…then motivation begins to grow. You cultivate that motivation with each step forward that again produces more results which you see and feel, and now the motivation train is rolling. External motivation becomes replaced by internal motivation. Exercising and eating right makes sense on a whole new level. The pleasure reward principle is working in your favor, and now exercise and eating right become a habit. The results you thought were fables that only others could attain are yours. I see this all the time – this is the truth about how motivation happens. This can get the couch potatoes to become fitness fanatics. Or it can get the lifelong fitness fanatic who is going through the motions to get out of a rut and reach a whole new level of performance.
The Critical Stage of Cultivating Motivation
Hopefully you see there is a critical stage here… the fragile stage where you have only that initial spark of motivation, where you need to feel and see results in order for the motivation to grow. The actions you take here can kill motivation, or cultivate it so your motivation forms deep permanent roots. That is why I want to take you through that stage. Click here for a free consult.
