Wondering how to be more motivated to achieve your health goals? I’m sharing my epiphany moment that helped me realize reaching them wasn’t just about motivation, plus one way you can take a step toward your health goals today.
You don’t need more stinking motivation!
That might sound counter-intuitive, but it’s one of the biggest issues that my health coaching clients get hung up on. Whenever I sit down to talk to someone new, they often tell me, “I need more motivation.” They know what to do and how to do it, but they’re stuck in this mindset.
But motivation isn’t something you can grab off the shelf at Target whenever you’ve got a low supply. What you need to achieve your best health goals–what I call your “body bliss”–is something else. I had a light bulb moment about this recently, and I realized it’s not just about magically finding more motivation.
I started working out at a place called the Art of Strength, which is like a big playground that helps me get strong. And it’s been a challenge. I was hesitant, but I decided to join a one-hour long class. Part of me was thinking, “This instructor is going to kick my butt. I’m going to be sore and tired all day long…”
And yes, there were points in the class when I was ready to give up. Because she did kick my butt. I was tired all day long, and I was totally sore the next day.
Some of you might be thinking, “Ugh….I wouldn’t have even walked in the door of this Art of Strength place.” I’m not saying that nobody struggles with motivation or other things like scheduling, so some of you may be genuinely running into those roadblocks. But once you’ve got your planning, organization, and enough motivation to walk in the door, you need to take it to the next level.
I knew what I was walking into, and I did it anyway. So I know my issue wasn’t motivation. I had moved past walking in the door despite my hesitations and fear of the unknown. And during this 60-minute torture chamber, AKA the Art of Strength, I realized something profound: I am a lot stronger than I give myself credit for. But on my own, I don’t push myself.
[bctt tweet=”It’s not about motivation. Here’s what you really need to achieve your #health goals. #mindset #motivation” username=”jegoswam”]
As I was watching people around me and the instructor was guiding me, I noticed that other people could do so many things that I couldn’t do yet. I finally started pushing myself when I was in that environment.
Why We Don’t Naturally Push Ourselves
With the right incentive, anyone can get motivated. But I can guarantee you that everyone that’s reading this doesn’t push themselves enough. There’s a biological reason for this: As humans, we’re naturally inclined to make things as easy on ourselves as possible.
We don’t want to be uncomfortable, face pain, or attempt something that we don’t know how to do. It’s in our programming to only do things we’re comfortable with or have heard of before.
I’m pretty well-rounded in my fitness experience, but when I walk into Art of Strength, there are various techniques, movements, or tools that are brand new to me. I’m a beginner there. It’s an uncomfortable place to be, but I know that’s where growth happens.
What You Really Need in Order to Push Yourself
Here’s the rub with the idea of working to achieve our fitness and health goals: We cannot push ourselves far enough as individuals to conquer our next goal. Even the most motivated, dedicated, have-their-stuff-together people can’t push themselves past a certain point.
Intuitively we all understand that we need to be challenged in order to grow, but on our own, it’s hard to break out of habits and the status quo. When I was at the Art of Strength, there were things I didn’t know how to do. But once I had someone else there encouraging me to take it up a level, I realized that I could actually do those unfamiliar things.
You can have the best SMART goal and the right motivation, but you won’t push yourself until you work with someone. Without someone else to push us outside of our comfort zones, we can’t see a different way of doing things. We don’t realize our own potential.
This is why coaching is so powerful. A coach sees you in a way that you can’t see yourself. I heard a coach share an interesting metaphor recently: Imagine being inside of a jar and trying to read the label on the outside of the jar. It would be impossible!
A coach is someone who helps you read the label and all those “ingredients” in you that you can’t see. We often don’t cherish and celebrate our own abilities, and we need someone else to recognize those things in us.
Only you can decide who the best person to help you is, and it’s different for everyone. It could be a friend, a partner or spouse, a coach, or a fitness instructor. It doesn’t mean you have to pay for a service–it could just be someone who you talk to about your goals and who helps you get there. The important thing is to find someone you trust who is willing to challenge you to try new things.
I absolutely love pushing my clients to do things they never thought they could do. It’s such a powerful process. If you’re ready to get to that next level, I’d love to hop on a phone call with you!
I offer a free Weight Loss Breakthrough session, which is a small sample of what my coaching involves. And don’t worry–I won’t go all Jillian Michaels on you. My version of pushing is to take you a few steps beyond what you think you’re capable of.
I encourage my clients to take small steps that they can sustain forever. I understand that you may not think you’re ready. But I also think there are at least or two things that you’re ready for that you’re not aware of. And I would love to support you and walk with you to achieve your goals.