Motivation is a feeling that often comes and goes for all of us. Being consistent is what drives us to reach any goal we set for ourselves. Consistency acts like the gas pedal in a car, and motivation acts like the gasoline.
You need to apply pressure to the gas pedal in order to move forward but if you don’t have any gas left in your tank, your car won’t move an inch.
Here are 3 ways in which I practice keeping my motivation fuel from reaching EMPTY.
1. Set realistic fitness goals.
For me, “realistic” means acknowledging that my interest in doing only one thing or a “routine” to reach my goal is almost guaranteed to make me bored and eventually lazy. So I try to have multiple or complimentary goals that I can train towards to keep it interesting. My goals can vary from racing a 10K to participating in Obstacle Races or competing in sports tournaments—and therefore my fitness training becomes less of a routine and more like a series of mini-goals.
2. Have a workout buddy or workout in a group setting.
Sometimes (when your motivation gas tank is running low) the thought of working out alone feels either boring or overwhelming. It’s much easy to find an excuse and skip the workout that day. Having a workout buddy or committing to a group workout, like a bootcamp class, will help you be more accountable to your workout and can be add some variety. I have a couple of different workout buddies who I’ll call up when I need to push myself to commit to a workout or sometimes I’ll attend a colleagues’ fitness class to get my butt whipped.
3. Practice reminding yourself of how important your fitness goals are.
This is most important in my opinion, so I always tell my clients “transform your mind and your body will follow”. It’s been said that it takes 21 days to create a new habit so if you want to be consistent with your fitness, then you have to practice thinking and behaving in ways that support your fitness goals. If you are a visual person, find pictures that represent your goals and put them up in an area that you look at all day. If you’re more into reading/writing, then subscribe to a motivational fitness blog so you can get regular reminders of your fitness goals. Talk about your goals and your progress with friends and family so they know how important they are to you.
Remember to forgive yourself for being unmotivated sometimes. Being and staying motivated does not always come naturally—it takes practice, practice, practice!
Trina Mohan is a personal trainer and the founder of Fitter YOU Bootcamp, which offers fitness classes and Mudders training for all genders and fitness levels. She provides motivational tips on all things fitness on Twitter.
