1. Don’t settle for where you are right now
We are often told that we have to make the best of what we’ve got or settle for what we have. Whilst true to a degree, particularly if you compare yourselves to those born into poverty or abusive families or you have very limiting health conditions, I don’t particularly agree with it and I believe that it’s the type of attitude drummed into us from an early age that can hold us back from developing how we want to later in life.
If you want something more, whether it is a fitness goal or a personal goal, you should definitely not settle for what you have. You’ll never get anywhere if you do. In fact, it may be necessary to get angry and annoyed with where you are right now to spur yourself onto another level of achievement.
I truly believe that the sky is the limit and if you want something bad enough, it’s up to you to go and get it. However, are you willing to make the sacrifices necessary to get motivated to achieve what you want?
2. Make a goal and work towards it
Rather than drifting merrily (or sometimes not so merrily) along, why not set yourself a clear goal. Then tell lots of people about it!
Having set yourself a target and announced it to the world, there’s nothing worse than just letting it fall by the wayside.
Allow the goal to fire up your motivation. Whether it’s entering a marathon or a competition of some sort, aiming for a Kung Fu grading or finishing the White Crane Tai Chi form. Whatever it is, having a clear goal – and an end date for that goal – could be the difference between sitting back on the sofa of an evening and getting your gear on and getting out to train!
3. Join a class or hire a personal trainer
It’s all to easy to think to yourself, ‘I can’t be bothered to do x,y or z tonight – I’ll do it tomorrow!’
However, if you have joined a class you have a group of people and an instructor there who you have declared some kind of loyalty to, so your lack of motivation is letting them down at the end of the day. By joining a class you give yourself a kick to actually get out there and join in with your class mates and friends. What’s more, if you don’t attend, today may just be the class where the instructor does all those exercises, or teaches those techniques that you’ve been waiting ages to learn!
Likewise, by hiring a personal trainer, you are committing to someone and even if you really can’t be bothered to get out and train that day, by having a trainer enthusiastically waiting to take you through a workout, you’re stacking the odds in your favour of actually getting out there and doing something.
Can’t afford a personal trainer? Well, just get together with a few friends for a group session.
4. Search for inspiration in others
There are so many inspirational everyday people and athletes out there who have defied all odds to achieve their goals. Find some of those people, read about them, follow them on Twitter and Facebook and let their attitudes help you along your way.
These are all human beings just like you, everyone needs to find their motivation from time to time – let their exploits inspire you!
5. Just do it!
At the end of the day, everyone knows deep down that they should be keeping fit and looking after themselves. You owe it to yourselves as well as your friends and families to be as healthy as you possibly can be. It doesn’t mean you have to take it to the extreme and start doing iron man triathlons or entering kickboxing competitions!
However, getting out and joining a class or heading down to the gym or putting some trainers on and going for a run sometimes has to be a case of mind over matter. Just do it – get yourself started and you’ll feel better and more motivated in no time.
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve had students approach me at the end of a class and said they were really struggling to get out and train today but it’s been one of their best ever workouts. Proof that just getting out and taking part in something is half the battle.
Just do it – I guarantee you’ll feel better and then use that to fuel your motivational fires the next time you can’t really be bothered!
