I’ve received a bunch of emails lately from guys – and girls – asking for tips to get motivated. This article is for you. I’ve been there, when training is just about the last thing in the world you want to do.
“People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing – that’s why we recommend it daily.” ~ Zig Ziglar
Some say that motivation is something you either have, or you don’t. A statement that I agree with – to a degree. Motivation is a daily process. Sometimes we’re more motivated than others. We go through stretches of great and intense productivity. Where our eye is on the prize every minute of every day. We jump out of bed and get right into the grind.
Then there are times when doing anything is a struggle. Our training is lacklustre, and our work is done slowly and without passion or focus.
Some of us are the former, more-so than the latter. Other’s are the opposite. Either way, maintaining and sustaining an intense sense of motivation is a must if we’re going to achieve anything that is considered legendary in our lifetime.
When it comes to training this can be especially difficult, and what’s what I’ll focus on. There are so many factors that can have a negative on our training. Our mood, a lack of energy, our self-image, and even what we’ve had to eat can hinder a workout.
How To Stay Motivated in Your Training
1. Make it emotional.
What do you want out of life? I mean really want. I’m not talking training. I’m talking life.
Now, how does you getting in kick-ass shape figure into that dream?
Me: I want my perfect day. I’ve written down a day, that if I had to live one day everyday for the rest of my life, this would be it. I know exactly where I want to live. What I want to look like. Who I want to be with. What kind of dog I’ll have, what I’ll be doing for work (what I do now), and who I help on a daily basis – or who I deal with on a daily basis.
That’s my dream. It’s very detailed.
Being in kick-ass shape means I’m going to be more confident. It means I’m going to be stronger, healthier and have more energy. Which, in turn, means I’ll be able to do my job better. I’ll be an example for those I’m trying to help rather than just preaching to people. I’m going to be doing a higher quality job at what I do. I’m also going to be around longer for the people I love. I’ll be able to enjoy them, and them me.
However successful or unsuccessful my workout is, directly correlates with whether or not I’m going to have that dream or not. It’s a pretty sizeable piece to the puzzle if you think about it like I just did.
If you can find that dream, make it emotional, and make it – and the people in it – so important to you that you wouldn’t dare screw it up. Then you have a reason to be motivated for everything you do, not just training.
But for training and for work, there’s a second step to it:
2. Find a trigger.
Find something that connects with you on an emotional level. Something that lights a fire under your ass. For me, it’s music or motivational quotes. I have a few songs that really get me going. It might be corny to the next guy, but that really doesn’t matter. They get me riled up. They remind me why I’m working me arse off in the gym. They remind me of my emotional end goal.
A couple examples of mine:
Bruce Springsteen, Working on a Dream
“I’m workin on a dream, though sometimes it feels so far away. I’m workin on a dream, and how it we be mine someday.”
Trey Songs, I Gotta Make It
“I’m tryin’ to turn it around, start this thing from the ground and as long as you’re down I know. Looking at you day after day, I know I just gotta make it.”
3. Have a cup of joe.
If it takes a cup of coffee to get to the gym, then by all means have a cup of coffee. Coffee’s high in antioxidants. A couple cups before a workout have also been shown to increase fat loss.
If you like a pre-workout drink, then grab one of those. I’ll cycle my pre workout drink, coffee, and nothing. If I train late at night I used to not have anything, but lately I’ve been loving the pre-workout before a late night session. I’m up for hours and get a ton of great, focused work during that time after my session as a result.
My favorite pre-workout mix ———> Extreme Rush by Blue Star Nutraceuticals
4. Set short-term goals.
This is a BIG one. Set short, 3-4 week goals based on process, not results. Set goals like:
- I will go to the gym 4-days a week for the next 4 weeks without missing 1 session.
- I will eat clean 6 out of 7 days for the next month.
Set goals that are focused on the process, and the results will follow. If you’re too focused on the results it can get discouraging, and it can be harder to measure. If you miss a workout, you know you’ve missed a workout. It’s simple and it’s easy to measure.
After that month period take a week off. Take it easy, let a little loose on the diet, then get back to training for another 3-4 week period. Pretty soon those 3-4 week periods will turn into 6-8 week periods. But I wouldn’t go over the 6-8 week mark. A week off is a great physical and mental break that we all need from time to time.
5. Find a good training partner.
Hold yourself accountable to someone other than yourself. If you have a training partner that is supposed to meet you at a certain time and place, you’re not only selling yourself short if you’re late or if you miss the session, but them as well.
Make sure it’s someone who is as motivated, or more motivated than you.
Have a song that gets you pumped – or a quote? Tell me in the comments section!
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