We all lose our motivation from time to time. To deny that means you are lying to yourself. We lose motivation for any number of reasons, including loss of interest, stagnation, injury, life stressors, poor lifestyle habits, the absence of achievable goals, etc.
Acknowledging the fact that your motivation is lacking is important. In order to find your groove again, first you need to get honest with yourself about what’s holding you back. What are your hurdles? What are the benefits you are withholding from yourself by stopping at the excuses?
For myself, I know for sure that if I didn’t workout on a regular basis that I would be a grumpy sack of shit 100 percent of the time and make everyone around me miserable. I would also be upset with myself for not taking the necessary steps to take care of my mental and physical well-being and my lack of follow-through would then compound on my already irritable self. There I’d go, down a negative spiral impacting other important areas of my life.
Now, I don’t know about you, but that possible outcome is enough to at least get me in my truck to start driving to the gym. And, as many of you can probably attest, getting your physical body to the physical gym is often a major obstacle.
I had this exact discussion with one of our members the other day. I told her that if she can just get here (TCS), it all gets better. She agreed.
If you are still stuck behind a wavering motivation, another valuable tool you could implement is a “pros & cons” list. Simply list all the positive things about a specific decision, as well as the negative. Most likely, your “pros” list will overflow with the many benefits that stem from working out. Your “cons” side of “I just don’t want to” won’t work, my friend.
Look, if you can find a compelling reason (by being real with yourself) to get your ass in the driver’s seat of your car and drive to the gym, 80 percent of the work is done! Listen to some kickass music on the way and try to enjoy the commute. The next step is simply to walk onto the black mats. From there, gyms like TCS take the wheel and tell you what to do next. If you notice that you’re still in a shit mood, GET MOVING!
I don’t care what you do. Just start moving. Don’t waste time filling up your water bottle or doing some super complicated band stretches - JUST MOVE!
Why is this so important? With movement comes motivation.
Think about it. When you leave the gym, are you in a better state of mind than when you came in? I can almost guarantee that you said yes.
When you start to work your body you increase blood flow, heart rate and respiratory rate. Your body releases endorphins and produces more dopamine and serotonin, which are some pretty potent hormones that stimulate positive actions and states in the body.
There is a lot of science behind this, but the science doesn’t really matter in this case. Results matter.
So when I say movement is motivation, you can see that by simply moving as soon as you step foot in the gym, you start a chain reaction of positivity that will ultimately result in a great workout.
Get moving.