What Gets You Motivated?

Being motivated is what gets us to push ourselves harder each day. It’s what gets us started each morning and fuels our drive for success. It’s the way we turn our goals nd ideas into actions and accomplishments.

Sometimes we feel invisible at going after our goals, but other times just getting out of bed in the morning can be tough. Why is that?  These are part of our normal emotional and motivational cycles in life.

Motivation in our lives comes in many forms, it can come from within you or an outside source of inspiration. What gets you out of bed each day? 

What Gets You Motivated?

For many, it’s the need to earn a living and pay your bills each month. Other people thrive at work and can’t wait to increase their business revenues or help their clients. Either way being self-motivated is what gets these folks to show up at work.

But work quality, as well as the pleasure of doing the job, are so much higher when you actually have the desire within you to do well at work rather than just to keep yourself from bad things, like not paying your rent or getting fired.

Fitness Motivation

Now, how can we use motivation to help our fitness goals?

• People lose motivation, slack on exercising and eating right over the holidays because everyone around them is doing the same. It’s easy to indulge in guilt foods and sweet delicacies during the festive season. This is the time when you need to remind yourself of the bigger picture and how your everyday choices add up to reaching your long-term goals. Thinking about this won’t automatically increase your motivation, but it will help get you back on track until your motivation comes back.
• During the times you’re rocking it at the gym, take advantage of that high note and really push yourself beyond your comfort zone. These “easy” times are when you might not need any other outside motivation, but don’t count on them lasting forever. Expect there to be upswings and downswings in life. Plan to find motivation from other sources when your motivation is down or not there at all.
• If you’re struggling to exercise, look at some images of bodybuilders or fitness pros you admire. Seeing other people winning at the same goals you have can help inspire you to want to do the same. You can also work this strategy the other way by looking at photos of yourself from a time you were weak, unfit or overweight. Looking at these will remind you of all the accomplishments you made already and help get you back on track.
• Find other people with similar goals and a positive attitude who will help fuel your motivation. Read inspiring books and articles. Surround yourself with positivity.
• Criticism and negativity can also motivate but there are too many people who will tell you you’ll fail. You can take a “prove them wrong” approach and also take out your anger when you exercise.

What gets you going to the gym or doing your best in life?