Do you have a friend who is always motivated?
If you follow him on social media, it looks like he lives in the gym and has superhuman discipline.
But you don't see the entire picture.
Your friend is only showing a tiny glimpse into his life. What you don't see:
Doubts, failures, rejections, laziness, wasting time, lack of will-power..
He's human, just like you.
The difference is, he found the keys to stay motivated.
If you apply these 5 tips, your friends will ask what your secret to motivation is!
1- Find your Why
We all know how important goals are. But when you set a goal without knowing why, you set yourself up for failure.
To achieve your goals, it's crucial you know what is driving you. What will it mean to get the six-pack abs? How will it make you feel to run a marathon? Are you training for a mud-run? What will you gain from the experience?
Go deep. There are no right or wrong answers. Only you can answer why.
Just be sure to go beyond the superficial. If the goal is big enough, you need a strong reason to keep you motivated when things get tough. And they always do.
2- Visualize Success
Some of the most successful people use visualization. The best part about it? It's available to you and it's simple to learn.
All you need to do is imagine yourself achieving your goal. This tip goes hand-in-hand with knowing your “why”. Picture how it will feel when you accomplish the goal. What does it look like? Get specific and fill in your mental image with details. Use all your senses. Make it real!
The key is to visualize consistently.
Suggestion: just before bed and first thing in the morning, spend a few minutes visualizing your great achievement in detail.
3- Get an Accountability Partner
Let's say you get home from a long day at work and you have a workout planned but you decide to skip it.
You are too tired. It's cold outside. Your mind is full of excuses why you should take the night off.
Will anyone know that you skipped a workout?
Now picture your friend or coach waiting for you at the gym. You are much more likely to go now, right?
Accountability is essential.
If you don't have any friends (sorry to hear that) or access to a coach, there are other options. Sign up for a class. Try an online forum where you document your workouts. Or post on social media to keep you honest.
Whatever it takes to make sure you stay on track.
4- Take Small Steps Daily
We all want results quickly. There's nothing wrong with that. It's human nature. What causes you to lose motivation is a lack of progress.
If you can see the results of your efforts, you will stay excited about the process.
It's a great idea to set a big goal for yourself. A goal that makes you nervous and inspired. But you also need to focus on the small steps you take every day. What small action can you take each day towards your goal? Write it down and make sure you are being consistent.
It's easy to get frustrated when your progress slows down or stops altogether. The solution is to focus on what you have control over. You control your daily actions. Let that propel you forward.
5- Keep a Training Journal
One of the best decisions I ever made in my training career (spanning 20+ years) was to keep a training journal.
There are two main reasons a simple training log can help you stay motivated:
- You see progress. Over time you will forget where you started. We overlook how far we have come. It's important to look back occasionally and be proud of how much we have achieved.
- What gets measured, will improve. You can write in a training journal by hand or type it up on your computer or phone. What's important is you see the numbers. They are real. Now you know where you started, how far you've come, and where you want to go next.
Beating your previous numbers is a powerful way to increase your motivation. Or try to keep a streak alive, like walking 10,000 steps for 30 days straight.
No one is motivated all the time.
What's important is that you stick to daily healthy habits. Next thing you know, a year has passed and you look back amazed at your progress.
Let this be the year that you become an inspiration to others. So all your friends will be asking you what is the “secret” to staying motivated.
If you’re ready to take the next steps in your fitness journey, contact the experts at G&G Fitness Equipment today, use the chat feature on the bottom right of this window to connect live with a G&G expert, or stop into a G&G Fitness Equipment showroom and let us show you why we are the best specialty fitness equipment retailer in the northeast.
About the Author
Jim White is a freelance contributor for G&G fitness. He's also a personal trainer and owner of Strength Essentials716. He loves helping people build Strength for Life. When he's not writing or training clients, he loves hiking and howling at the moon. He has a natural ability to see great potential in you, even if you can't see it in yourself. Jim also enjoys long walks on the beach and classic novels. Find out more at strengthessentials716.com
