On Motivation
- May 5th, 2015
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What motivates us? What inspires us to go after the things we want? What keeps us going to the gym, day after day, in search of dem gainz? Motivation.
I think it stems from desire. Without desire, there can be no motivation. You have to want something bad enough to go out there and get it, make it happen.
Motivation varies, like many things, and for big goals a big motivating factor is called for. Some people find it easy to set goals and go after them, others need help. I think it mainly stems from the “Why?” If the “Why” isn’t strong enough, if you haven’t bought into it, then you will find motivation to be lacking. If the “Why” is strong, it becomes much easier to disregard distractions and stay focused on the goal. This is what drives us.
Want to change your body? Do it. Want to get a killer job? Make it happen. Want a new car? Save more or take another gig to help pay for it. Very few things in life are given to us, we have to strive for what we want. Make a consistent effort. This goes back to my “Daily Wins” concept. Set a goal, then do something every day, no matter how small, to give you a sense of victory and progress towards that goal. It creates a feedback loop that eventually becomes self-perpetuating.
Gandhi’s quote, “Be the change you want to see in the world” comes to mind. If you want something, and you want it bad enough, you’ll find a way to make it happen. This stems from the growth mindset, which one has to have, imo, to achieve much. Don’t get caught in the status quo, ask yourself “How?”, “Why?”, and “Why not?” There’s always a way, it just boils down to how much you’re willing to work to achieve it.
I’ve been working pretty hard in the gym lately (excepting the last week). My motivation for that stems from feeling so much better about myself when I exercise, and perhaps a little father-son competitiveness too. My son is a monster, with 17.5″ arms at the tender age of 16. I had always said that I’d know I was in good shape if I could lift him over my head when he turned 18. As of now, I’m going to have to be able to press over 200 pounds to be able to do it. Time to get to work!
Anyway, he’s in great shape. I used to be in great shape, and want to be again. That is why I train. I have a vision of what I want my body to look like by the end of summer and that keeps me going. I have a number to shoot for. I don’t care about how much I weigh, but I do want to get down to sub 10% body fat, so I’m properly ripped. (I haven’t been that low in three decades.) I know I can do it, it’s just going to take time, consistent effort, and vigilance.
I’ve added muscle, dropped a little fat, and increased measurements in the right areas. I haven’t really focused on getting ripped right now, as my body is still adjusting to the efforts of working out hard after lying dormant for so long. I did drop 50 pounds last year – an indication of just how badly out of shape I had gotten – and use that as continual motivation to keep putting in the time at the gym, making it a priority in my life.
I’ve been fortunate these past few months that my work schedule hasn’t interfered with my gym time, so I’ve been able to remain consistent. Now that I have a great job that I’m going in to the office for, I’m in the same boat as most of you. I need to find time to go to the gym, and that’s requiring some tough choices. I don’t want to get up earlier in the day, but I’m generally spent by the end of the day and, if I want to make progress, something else has to give. So I’m going to start getting up earlier and hitting the gym before the office. It’s really the only way that I can ensure that I can remain consistent, get enough training in during the week to meet my goals, and keep making progress. I don’t want to do it, but it’s the only option that guarantees I can continue to make progress. It will also mean that I start going to bed earlier at night. No more staying up late, playing poker, surfing the web, being unproductive. It’s down to time management at this point. I only have 16 hours in the day to work with, and at least half of those are going to be in the office. It’s doing what needs to be done to meet the goal. So I must motivate myself to go to bed earlier, get up earlier, and lift heavy weights first thing in the morning. It can be done. I will do it.
For those who are trying to find motivation in their lives, my suggestion is this: Find a goal. It doesn’t have to be a total body transformation, for example, but have a concrete aim that gives you something to go after. Do something every day to get yourself closer to that goal. Change doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time to see results. The Daily Wins help stoke the feedback loop to keep you engaged and moving forward. Spend some time and really think about what you want to achieve, get clear on it. Write it down. Make a vision board. Keep things in your environment that constantly remind you of your goal. Find inspiration wherever you can, draw on it, and use it to help you. Engage your support system – be it family or friends or strangers. Two of the best inspiring motivators for fitness I’ve found are BodySpace and Instagram. There are tons of pics and stories of people just like you that are taking control and effecting the changes they want to make. Find a successful strategy and follow it. Don’t be afraid to copy what others have done – it worked for them, it can work for you too!
Good luck, be great, and go get it!
