I want to talk to you about something that I’ve personally struggled with over the years, and that “something” is staying motivated.
Motivation—or rather, a lack of motivation—is a common pain-point that can lead you to feeling lazy, like you’re not doing enough and/or like you’re failing at life… But I’m going to share a little secret with you – motivation is BULLSHIT. I’d even go as far as to argue that it’s not the driving force of productivity, or any real success for that matter.
Here’s why.
Motivation is typically used as an excuse – an excuse not to do something that we said we would do because of our inherent lack of motivation. But what exactly does a ‘lack of motivation’ even mean? And why do you place ‘motivation’ on a pedestal like its some sort of super power that makes us actually take action?
Here’s the truth – motivation, at its best, is a byproduct of what we expose ourselves to. So you’re not failing at life if you have a lack of it.
If you feel like you’re not currently succeeding at the things that you want to achieve in life, chances are good it’s because you’re NOT putting yourself in the right environment or surrounding yourself with the right variables (i.e. people) to make you want to take action. I’d even challenge your dedication to that thing that you’re striving to achieve.
If deep down you don’t want something, you’ll do what ever you can to avoid going after it. Including making up stories (and excuses) as to why it makes sense to push that particular goal (or task) until tomorrow.
Sound familiar?
Well it’s time to take a moment and consider if you honestly want the things you say you want in life.
Yes those things may be nice ideas, and make for a lovely story… but if you’re not willing to commit to making them happen, or don’t believe in your goals to begin with, they’ll forever be stories.
It’s time to take a step back and question why you want the things you say you want in your life.
Often things seem like they’re the natural next step, (AKA what you “should” do) but are in fact VERY different from what you actually want to do.
In my experience, when I want something—like truly want it—I go after it. And more often than not I get slammed to the ground about 100 times over before I come anywhere close to achieving it; which for the record doesn’t stop me, it only redirects me… again, and then again… and maybe again… and again.
I think you get where I’m going with this.
When you want something for real, you pull it closer.
When you don’t want something, you push it further away from you.
Think about that, and then think about all the things that you’re fighting to keep close—or more importantly, fighting to push away. What do you think would happen if you did the opposite? Embrace the things you want, and walk away from the things you don’t.
That right there can be a pretty terrifying thought—because for most of us it means that we have to step way outside of our comfort zone. But I want to reiterate something that I’ve said many times before to help get your head in the right place – what’s the worst thing that will happen if you stop holding yourself back?
I am a firm believer that fear and laziness are the two biggest factors that hold people back.
Fear of rejection is a powerful one. I’ve had my fair share of rejection both in my personal and professional life, so I know firsthand how hard it can be when you get struck with it. But I also know that rejection provokes action if you let it—by giving you the capacity to gain a greater understanding of yourself and making you question the things you thought you wanted. So embrace rejection, learn from it, and move on.
On the other side of the fence there’s laziness. Being “too lazy” to execute or work towards a particular goal is a telltale sign that you need to look at yourself. Putting it bluntly – stop blaming your lack of action on things like, “I’m not motivated enough” or “people/things just keep getting in the way” because the ONLY PERSON who can really get in the way of your progress is you.
- Realize that things don’t need to be perfect to get done.
- Appreciate that a bad start can still have a great finish.
- Understand that getting results takes work, probably more work then you can even imagine.
- And embrace that the pay off will always be there, as long as you are open to seeing it.
Doing things despite of thoughts, feelings, emotions, or moods is where you will discover the true power of your own strength and determination… and THAT’S when progress really starts to happen, and results follow suit.
Or you can just keep Googling motivational quotes and see how far that gets you…
Here’s to making it happen, going all in, and being prepared to embrace all of the struggles along the way.
Andrea
PS – If you’re currently struggling to find the motivation to start (or stick with) a particular body transformation goal, reach out to us by clicking HERE. We’ll get you in for an assessment and come up with a plan to keep you on track with your goals. Then work with you to stay accountable to them.
