<strong>Overcoming lack of motivation</strong>

“Motivation” is often the scapegoat when someone struggles to work out and eat right. No one wants to fail in his or her health, wellness, and fitness journey, yet so many people do. Is it actually a lack of motivation?

What if I told you success doesn’t depend on motivation because motivation is simply a desire to change? Motivation is wanting. What actually matters is HABITS and DISCIPLINE.

Here’s what has to happen to be successful:

1. The motivation stage - lasts a few weeks

2. Discipline - lasts a few months and can be really difficult

3. Habits - lasts forever and gets easier over time

EVERYONE has times when they aren’t in the mood to exercise or eat right. But, if you’ve formed a habit you’ll do it anyway. Life gets in the way for everyone. But, many people use “life” (family in town, job is hectic, got a new dog, kids are busy, etc.) as an excuse to let fitness and nutrition take a back seat. They claim they don’t have motivation when in actuality they haven't put in the effort it takes to be disciplined and form habits.

How do you create discipline and habits? Here are a few suggestions:

1. Regularly review your goals and progress.
2. Continue to set new goals.
3. Visualize reaching your goals.
4. Block out time in your calendar for your workout and meal prep.
5. Make a habit of getting to bed early (it’s hard to stay on track when you’re exhausted).
6. Surround yourself with positive people who support your goals.
7. Use exercise to improve your mental health.
8. Think about how good you will feel after you eat well and exercise, not how hard it is to get going or to resist temptation.
9. Reflect on your barriers to success to strategize ways to overcome those barriers.
10. Cultivate mental toughness.

Don’t wait for motivation to hit you like a ton of bricks. Do the hard work it takes to build positive habits. Conduct yourself with discipline to express those habits.