You can say you have bad genetics, bad metabolism, or you can just get your ass off the couch and start working on ourself, set a goal and believe in yourself. In that case, you’re bound to succeed.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Have you ever been in a similar situation? You are sitting at the computer or sitting comfortably in front of the TV and mentally trying to convince yourself to pack up and go to the gym. Each time you find all sorts of excuses: the program is interesting and it must finish watching, or know a friend wrote and want to talk to him. All this drags on until late evening, and then the gym closes. So you don’t go… You feel guilty, but the next time everything repeats.
So what’s the problem? Why do millions of people in different languages of the world answer my question with, “Yes, it happened to me.”? It turns out it’s all about a lack of motivation.
And this applies not only to beginners, but also to professional athletes. Do you think they don’t get tired of strict training schedules, sticking to specific diets and squeezing the maximum out of themselves in the gym? But unlike the rest, professionals know how to motivate themselves properly, because this, in part, determines their potential.
But even if you don’t crave a bright, athletic future for yourself, self-motivation skills are essential for anyone who wants to change their life, health and figure for the better.
Believe in yourself – you can do it!
15 ways of motivation
So, let’s look at the different ways of motivation:
Be clear about the reason. Why do you have to go to the gym? Why does your body need extra exercise? What do you want to achieve as a result? Do you want to admire your reflection in the mirror? Or live a long, long life? Or maybe you just want to get into your favourite dress or jeans? Or seduce a colleague at work? Do you want your friends/girlfriends to envy your slim and trim body? Be sure to identify your own reason and then focus on it. This is your main motivation, think about it constantly, and then you will want to make every effort to achieve the goal.
Think positively. Don’t say to yourself: ‘I have to get up and join a gym or I will never lose weight or get into shape. The words ‘must’ and ‘must’ should not be heard when you motivate yourself. Don’t turn training into an obligation, a job. After all, it is much more pleasant to do what you want rather than what you have to do. You’d be surprised, but a lot really depends on the wording. The second mistake of such “motivation” is thinking in a negative way. It is much more effective to think about how great you will look when you start or continue exercising.
Always set small, achievable goals for yourself. Goals can be anything, but the simpler and smaller they are, the better for your motivation. Let’s say you bought a subscription to the gym three times a week for a month. So set a goal of going to the gym three times a week for a month without skipping a session. Or another goal is to lose a few pounds by the next holiday. The joy of achieving the goal will be a great motivation for setting new and new goals.
Feel free to punish yourself. For example, do you want to skip a workout? No problem, but then you would have to go shopping with your spouse all day in humility. Or get your house in perfect order without missing a single cupboard or drawer. And then, on top of that, call some longtime and not too nice friend and invite him to visit. That’s the kind of motivation you can use to threaten yourself. Or the other way around, you can reward yourself for small accomplishments.
Don’t demand too much from yourself. Understand that everyone is different, and if you are a novice athlete, don’t expect to be a professional. If you cannot do an exercise correctly from the first time – do not give up, try again and again. The main thing is to keep going towards your goal.
Buy an expensive gym membership. Fortunately, greed is often stronger than laziness.
Sign up for a group class. You can meet new people and make new friends! You can share your progress with them and ask for help when things don’t work out. And if people ask you for advice and you know what to say, your self-esteem will skyrocket and that’s a great motivator too.
Think of yourself as a real celebrity being stalked by the paparazzi and don’t upset your fans. This is a very interesting playful approach developed by the European Fitness Association that both girls and guys can enjoy. Feel free to fantasise about it!
Keep a diary, write down all your results and achievements, as well as all your impressions from the last workout. When you don’t feel like going to the gym – leaf through this diary, dive into your own emotions written down on paper and get the desire to feel them again.
Make a bet. Why not make a wager with someone that you can lose a few extra pounds in a certain amount of time? If someone is constantly teasing you, trying to encourage you to lose weight – offer him to make a bet. Make that person pay for every pound you lose.
Try to surround yourself with people who support and inspire you. Look for like-minded people, as mentioned above – it’s more fun to be together. Have people around you who genuinely empathise with your failures and rejoice at any achievements.
Post brightly coloured stickers with motivational and encouraging phrases everywhere. Many people don’t take this seriously, but such psychological techniques often help.
Take selfies before and after each workout. Compare your results. When you see real changes in your body, you won’t want to stop.
If you don’t like group workouts with strangers, bring along someone you feel comfortable with – your best friend or your significant other. You’ll find it harder to convince yourself to skip a workout, knowing that another person is counting on your presence. Plus, competition is a great motivator. Compete to see who can do more sets and keep an eye on each other – it’s not just important to do lots of exercises, but also to do them well!
Have fun. During your workout, listen to your favourite music or interesting audio books or learn foreign languages – in other words, do what you like to do. Don’t see exercising as an obligation. Enjoy your results and the time you spend with friends or loved ones. And you will definitely succeed!
