MOTIVATION

Motivation is the act or process toward a desired goal. This is the drive or incentive that influences you to achieve your goal.

As a personal trainer, I believe that you must have fun and enjoy yourself. This is the only way that you will incorporate a Fitness Program into your life forever. Without motivation, or what I call "inspired action", you will find yourself going in circles.

Motivation starts with baby steps. Once you’ve set your goals and prepared a fitness plan motivation is the key to staying fit. Many people fail to incorporate goals into their lifestyles and eventually drop their goals and rejoin the inactive majority. By managing your progress each day you will start to enjoy the positive results that are produced. You become accountable for your own results. In no time you will see your self-confidence increase as your capabilities improve. This becomes habit forming.

A successful balanced life is comprised of a lot of successful days put together, and each day is made up of a lot of successful activities, each activity completed at times as nothing more than an afterthought.

Psychology plays a major role in determining if people are successful with goals in the long term. No matter what your fitness goals – be it weight loss, to build muscle, prepare for a race or change your lifestyle, everyone needs the proper support, goals setting and resources to stay on track.

Most people think behavior is changed with willpower. It is true that willpower will help get you started, but it doesn’t keep you going. Only habit keeps you going. Behavior patterns must be permanently fixed in your subconscious mind. Motivation relies on positive reinforcement that is made up of both things we think and rationalize along with things we do involuntary.

Some people enjoy working out with a partner to help keep them motivated. Others participate in exercise activities to socialize. Many people prefer to workout alone. Everyone has their own motivating factors. Sometimes we need help. A friend, family member or a personal trainer can help provide the drive and incentive to keep you going.

As we know commitment is the difference between being interested in doing something and engaging yourself towards it! It boils down to attitude. True engagement helps create motivation. Almost everything we do will have an affect on how we feel. Motivation is the action that boosts our confidence and self esteem.

If you don’t fix yourself and create some simple rules that you are ready to accept in your life, you will very easily slip back into your past unhealthy behavior and attitude.

The tough part with exercise is getting out there and doing it. A change in your exercise mentality or a new idea or plan can help jump-start your physical well-being.

1) Exercise has to become one of your priorities
2) You have to make time for it.
3) You have to find a passion – something you enjoy.
4) If you don’t like what you are doing you won’t do it.
5) Set your goals.

Here is 20 tips to keep you motivated:

1) Train for an event, or pretend you are.
2) Set goals and be realistic. Make sure it’s something you enjoy.
3) Keep a journal. Tracking your progress results in success.
4) Mix it Up - Split your routine. Variety is the spice of life.
5) Vary the exercise sets or repetitions
6) Vary the intensity or load.
7) Add intervals to your cardio or aerobic exercise.
8) Try different exercises for different muscle groups
9) Try a new sport or activity.
10) Make it a social thing. Join a group or club or get a workout partner.
11) Hire a personal trainer.
12) Use a heart rate monitor to gauge your intensity and progress.
13) Change the order of exercises.
14) Distract yourself – Listen to your favorite tunes with headphones.
15) Use an exercise video, dvd, or YouTube.
16) Educate yourself - Read up, subscribe to a magazine.
17) Create a list of reasons why you want to be healthy & read it regularly.
18) Involve the family – bring your spouse, kids or pet into the equation.
19) Find workouts that aren’t workouts. Take the stairs rather than the elevator, Park at the far end of the mall parking lot, take a walk at you lunch hour.
20) Reward yourself. Take a day off from exercise or buy a new outfit.

Conclusion
The strength to succeed is in your head. Motivation relies on both voluntary and involuntary factors. By minimizing self-defeating behaviors and focusing on realistic goals you can attain the motivation and drive for short and long term success.

Do not get caught up in material things or wishing that everything was perfect. Simply live your life to the fullest. There is a big difference between standard of living and quality of life. Standard of Living is based on income earned – it doesn’t necessarily make you happy.
Quality of Life is the enjoyment of the millions of minutes in between accomplishments.

Look at what you are doing while living rather than what you do for a living. Enjoy life.

Now if that is not motivating enough for you, then just remember this;

If you’re handed lemons; accept responsibility and make lemonade.
Take Responsibility – it’s all up to you!