I’ve been told that I seem really motivated all the time which is usually followed by ,”I can’t seem to get to that point and how do I do it?”
Truth is I actually enjoy, scratch that, LOVE lifting and when you feel that way about something you don’t really need some big push to go out and do it. I do realize that not everyone has reached meathead status, but I do notice a few things most people that are unmotivated have in common:
Inconsistent: They show up for a week, quit for two and repeat that pattern. Then they complain about not seeing results and then have no motivation. The biggest motivating factor in anything you do is seeing improvement, but if you don’t practice and consistently show up you will NEVER get better at anything and that goes for every aspect of your life beyond the gym. Just SHOW UP and when the changes start happening motivation won’t need to be found in a meme or in an Instagram personality; your own progress becomes your motivation.
Complain: More often than not people who are unmotivated tend to be the biggest complainers. Training isn’t always easy, in fact, some days it’s awful and we’ve all had sessions that feel shitty. If you’re one of those people that feel the need to complain every single time you step into the gym you might want to try changing that bad habit. Nobody wants to be around the person that has the rain cloud above their head every single day. So stop bitching, even if you don’t love it at that moment, don’t vocalize it. You’d be surprised what kind of shift positive thinking will have in your training.
Constantly comparing: Social media makes it very easy to see people that are stronger, smarter, wealthier and in better shape than you. WHO CARES? You can’t move forward if you’re constantly comparing yourself to these people, yet doing NOTHING about your own situation. Chances are the people you’re comparing yourself to show up on a daily basis and don’t complain about the process; they focus and just keep getting better at life. Instead of comparing yourself to them try learning from them; find out what they are doing on a daily basis to improve. People that are truly great at anything don’t mind helping others.
Afraid to fail: Nobody wants to fail. Unfortunately, that’s usually a path we’re all destined to go down more than once. Failing doesn’t mean you give up; in fact, it is the only way you learn. I can’t tell you how many shows I’ve done and not come in 1st place. The easiest way to understand how your body works is to see your diet, training program etc through and find out how your body responds or doesn’t respond (that means giving it more than a day and also understanding that what worked for you in your 20’s may not work now that you’re 40). The only failure would be to give up too soon.
ZERO Patience: Trust me I get it, when I want something I want it right now. If you want abs and you’re at 50% BF please realize that’s not gonna happen in 10 days. Some things are going to take more work and require more time than others. If you set realistic goals patience is a little easier to come by….a little (I’d be lying if I said I was the most patient person).
I’ve been lifting for well over 20 years consistently. It has been filled with highs, lows, as well as long plateaus. I’ve had two kids, gotten older and had to change things up along the way. One thing that hasn’t wavered is my love of the process and learning about my body at the various stages of life, things change and that’s ok. Enjoy the process, work with what you got and above all don’t quit!
