Leading on from last week, about being positive and not using negativity as a motivation we’re going to look at how we can create habits that lead to us actually achieving those goals we set ourselves this new year.
Motivation is inherently short lived because it’s an emotion, a feeling we have, it’s not something you can touch or really explain all that well. Those coaches who constantly try and motivate you are the ones who never get you to where you want to be long term. They might get you ready for a wedding, a holiday or an event, but are they going to help you stay where you want to be for the rest of your life? Who’s been to a boot camp for 6-8 weeks to get in shape for something? Were you shouted at by some guy or girl who told you something wasn’t good enough? Made you run as a ‘punishment’ for something? That’s not fun! Did you really have fun? Most people who go to these things say they ‘get through it’ rather than enjoy it. They do it because they’re motivated for the event of holiday. After that holiday or event did you rush back to see that shouty person again? No!! 😆 I wouldn’t either!!
Fun is the most important thing to keep you going and get you to the point where you want to do this for you, not for an event or short term purpose, but because it makes you feel better, you have fun and it makes your life better.
Are all workouts fun? No…even I don’t enjoy every workout BUT I’ve found the way to train that makes me feel awesome! I love the way I feel during most sessions, but I really love the way I feel AFTER EVERY session. You need to find the way to exercise you enjoy, that you feel happy and energised, after you’re done. That then makes you do these sessions even when you ‘can’t be bothered’.
I took time off from Christmas Eve until 4th Jan, about 2 weeks. I normally do some sort of activity or workout 5 days a week but we really didn’t do anything more than a walk. On the 31st I popped into the gym and my wife did a little spin and just having that one workout made us both our normal selves, more energised, better moods and it was well worth the hour out of the day for it. Were either of us ‘motivated’ to do that workout? Absolutely not!! 😆 but we knew we’d feel better after and we enjoyed it at the time because of that.
Fun is needed to start a habit, so you have to do something you enjoy. Go out on your bike, dance, play a sport, whatever it is have fun while being active. The amazing thing is that then the habit grows effortlessly. It’s not a slog of forcing yourself to do something you really don’t enjoy.
Have fun, magic happens, you form a new habit! Boom! Much better than trying to motivate yourself to do something boring 👍🏻👍🏻