In The War of Art Steven Pressfield says struggle points to our true calling. He says “Resistance is Infallible.” If something is hard but promises growth (and instant gratification delayed), then we owe it to ourselves, and the universe, to pursue it.
Working out isn’t hard. But wanting to workout (sometimes) is.
Remember when you started? Either you were excited or you complained about it. If you were excited, at some point, that probably fizzled out. Things got tough, progress stalled, and you wanted to quit. This has happened to all of us.
And if you weren’t excited (which was me – doctors orders), then you had to do something to convince yourself otherwise. Maybe you read a few books on motivation, or watched a couple of inspiration videos. Did it work? Did it last? And how are you doing now?
I wish I could tell you there is a hidden secret to motivation that only me and a few other people like Tom Hanks know. But the fact is motivation is a muscle, like love. We need to exercise it everyday.
Here’s how:
- Set a daily intention. “Today, I will…” (Do 100 swings, walk for 20 minutes, drink more water, etc.)
… - Write your goal on Post-It-Notes and stick them on the fridge, in the car, on your desk at work. (On the front of my laptop: “Shut up and write. Then, after that, shut up and workout.”)
… - Put skin in the game. Hire a coach, set stakes.
… - Read (or watch) something that daily inspires you. (I’m working on a new series for this, called Motivated Workouts. Join my email list?)
… - Expect Resistance. Know it will be hard. And…
… - Commit to 2-minutes everyday. (The hardest part is to get going and procrastination our worst enemy. “2-minutes everyday” is the secret to getting started.)
Remember: Motivation is the weapon we use to overcome Resistance and beat the odds. Make a habit of it. Flex the muscle. Don’t give up. Be a warrior. Drink coffee. Pet dogs. Hug trees. Wear your seatbelt.
Strong ON!
– Pat
bill says
I was always fascinated with weight lifting and bodybuilding, I remember when I got my first pump and how I liked how my body was responding to the training. I was hooked and could not stay away, I kept getting rewarded for what I was doing and yet I still would hit points when I was not motivated, wrestling and football practice were sometimes grueling and not much fun, I would go through periods where I did not have the motivation to follow my training but I would always get back somehow.
Your suggestions are very good. One thing that always worked for me was just doing something when I did not feel like doing it, I always felt better and sometimes would end up doing a pretty meaningful session. Not trying to accomplish too much also helps, make it easy.
Pat Flynn says
That last paragraph sums it up nicely. Just get started, and see what happens.
Strong ON!
– Pat
trish says
When I first started out, if I lost my motivation, I’d make myself commit to “just 10 minutes”. By forcing myself to show up, I always lasted longer than 10 minutes because it would ultimately end up being doable. Eventually, it became a life long habit that was unthinkable to skip!
Aly Di says
Trish,
I think you are definitely on to something here! Thanks for sharing the wisdom behind your success!
-Alyssa