When it comes to a sound health and fitness regime, we often rely on our own internal motivation to set our goals and get us started. However, what happens when that motivation runs out and it is no longer enough? We often hear that clients are not feeling ‘motivated’ anymore by the program they are following, or the results they may not be seeing, but at what point can we no longer use the ‘unmotivated’ excuse?
The well-known motivational speaker Zig Ziglar once said, “Motivation is fleeting; discipline is permanent.” Motivation will wake you up in the morning when your alarm goes off, however, it is discipline that will get you out of bed and on your way without even thinking twice. Discipline kicks in on those days when you do not feel like training and would rather be doing anything else. Discipline gives you the ability to do what you should be doing when the alternatives seem more enjoyable. If you find yourself waiting until you feel motivated to do something you open up the possibility of falling into the procrastination cycle trap. You may eventually push aside jump-starting your fitness journey and the goals you have set for yourself may no longer be relevant. Equate your fitness discipline to habits you have and can never seem to break, or routines that you have gotten into that you can’t shake. They say it takes at least 28 days to form a habit, and habits eventually turn into discipline without you even taking notice. You go to work every day because it is part of your schedule and routine. There are consequences to not following through. Take the same approach to your fitness. If you skip a session or blow off a whole week you will feel tired and lethargic, grumpy and even LESS motivated! The key is to not allow your feelings and emotions to impede your goals. The more you follow through and not let your emotions decide whether you will train that day, the easier it becomes to get moving. So work on instilling this habit of self-discipline to help you push through the days when you lack motivation. Make the tough decisions and sacrifices in the short-term in order to reap the benefits of the long-term rewards. The benefits will carry over to more aspects of your life than just fitness!
Written By Janice Keown, BSc. Kin, CSEP-CPT, CSEP High Performance Specialist™, ACSM EP-C