Why I am not a fan of “motivation”

People sometimes ask me how I stay motivated to train.  I tell them that I am not particularly motivated.  I prefer to see myself as consistent.

For me training is not optional.  It’s not something I do when I feel motivated. The best way to illustrate this is to ask you what motivates you to clean your teeth.  Most people do not have to be motivated to clean their teeth.  It is just something they do because its a good habit they have been taught from a young age and it will stop them getting tooth decay and other conditions which are bad for their health.

It’s difficult to always rely on motivation to strike before you exercise.  Sometimes our motivation can be really high (school reunion coming up, new partner, lose our baby fat, sunny day, woke up early) but there are plenty of times when motivation will dessert you (rainy night, late night out last night, partner who loves me anyway, too much work to do, too tired).  Relying on motivation may mean that we do not end up training very much on a regular basis.

If you require motivation to keep fit I suggest that there should be a switch in your mindset.  It should be become your aim to be CONSISTENT.  People who train on a consistent basis are the ones that have the best fitness.  So aim to become someone who trains every day or every second day or three times a week whether they are motivated or not.  You will find that if you “JUST DO IT” (what a good slogan that would be!) you will find yourself developing a new sense of well-being, health and happiness.  Make a plan for the week – when and where you will train – write in your diary and then follow through.