Tony Horton, creator of P90X (and a personal hero of mine), posted the following on his Facebook page today:
I've been doing a few interviews lately and the number one question is, "How do you stay motivated?" It seems that when you're not getting paid to stay in shape it's hard for most people to stay on track. Hell, I get paid and it's still a drag most days.
If you're not playing professional sports find a Plan and Purpose that mandates you'll stay committed for the rest of your life. I'll start out by suggesting that you take a piece of paper and write down two lists - just like the one my friend Jeremy Yost made prior to starting P90X. Reasons "Why Not" on the left and reasons "Why" on the right.
My guess is that most of you will discover that the reason why list is compelling and life changing, while the "why not" list will make you feel like an unhealthy loser. Once you've learned (from your lists) that NO is not an option it's time to find ways to stay accountable. When exercise is the last thing you want to do, your methods to stay accountable will help you get it done.
Who in your life can you share this with? If you can go it alone and stay motivated then great, but if you can't find someone else who needs your help and who forces you to show up. I workout with friends every time I exercise. We schedule it, show up, push each other and repeat the next day.
Organization gives you the freedom to live the life you've always wanted, so wake up in the morning knowing the exact time you'll be working out that day. If you can plan lunch you can plan a workout. Motivation is easy when you surround yourself with "like-minded" people, plan ahead and your purpose is to have a better life.
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A few things I wanted to add from my own personal experience...
1. Don't make BIG plans
We all crave change, positive change, the feeling that we're growing as human beings. Therefore, we love making resolutions...and, unfortunately, falling short at the end and getting disappointed. I can't begin to remember the number of times I said to myself "You need to loose a little weight. Starting tomorrow, no more...bla, bla, bla". Big plans and resolutions don't work. They are the wrong kind of motivators. It's better to start small, be modest, hell, be realistic...and expect to fail. But when you haven't set your expectations too high, it's easier to get back on the horse and try again.
2. Make it personal
Look for motivation in intimate, personal places. For me, my motivation was my family, my health and rock climbing. Let's talk about health for a sec. Here are my LDL, HDL and Cholesterol levels over the last eight years or so.
My last blood test was earlier this year and when I got the results and compared them to, say, 2004, I was blown away. In 2010, my doctor told me that he's concerned about my cholesterol and referred me to a nutritionist, who gave me some generals rules, a sample menu and sent me on my way. It was then that I realized that being the sole provider in our family, I had a responsibility to stay healthy. Furthermore, my son, Yotam, was growing up and starting to walk and run...I was afraid I couldn't keep up with him.
As for rock climbing, it's hard to explain...my little brother took me climbing a few times when we first came back to Israel and I was hooked. I joined a climbing gym, bought some equipment and that was it. Pretty early on I realized that climbing is physics at its best...a simple ratio between power and mass, and if I dropped weight and got stronger I'd be able to climb harder routes. These three simple things were all the motivation I needed to get started and, more importantly, stick with it.
3. Don't suffer
Weight loss and exercise are not one-size-fits-all. Every person is unique. Every body is different. What worked for me, might not work for you. The key, though, is to make it your own and not feeling like you have to suffer through it. As I was loosing weight, there wasn't a single moment where I felt hungry or like I was depriving myself from "the good things in life". If I needed a sweet fix, I'd mix some chocolate-flavored whey protein powder with low-fat yogurt and a few raisins. If I needed a snack, I'd go for a light granola bar. Be creative, don't accept things just because they worked for someone else or because that's how you think they should be. Make them your own.
I've been doing a few interviews lately and the number one question is, "How do you stay motivated?" It seems that when you're not getting paid to stay in shape it's hard for most people to stay on track. Hell, I get paid and it's still a drag most days.
If you're not playing professional sports find a Plan and Purpose that mandates you'll stay committed for the rest of your life. I'll start out by suggesting that you take a piece of paper and write down two lists - just like the one my friend Jeremy Yost made prior to starting P90X. Reasons "Why Not" on the left and reasons "Why" on the right.
My guess is that most of you will discover that the reason why list is compelling and life changing, while the "why not" list will make you feel like an unhealthy loser. Once you've learned (from your lists) that NO is not an option it's time to find ways to stay accountable. When exercise is the last thing you want to do, your methods to stay accountable will help you get it done.
Who in your life can you share this with? If you can go it alone and stay motivated then great, but if you can't find someone else who needs your help and who forces you to show up. I workout with friends every time I exercise. We schedule it, show up, push each other and repeat the next day.
Organization gives you the freedom to live the life you've always wanted, so wake up in the morning knowing the exact time you'll be working out that day. If you can plan lunch you can plan a workout. Motivation is easy when you surround yourself with "like-minded" people, plan ahead and your purpose is to have a better life.
---
A few things I wanted to add from my own personal experience...
1. Don't make BIG plans
We all crave change, positive change, the feeling that we're growing as human beings. Therefore, we love making resolutions...and, unfortunately, falling short at the end and getting disappointed. I can't begin to remember the number of times I said to myself "You need to loose a little weight. Starting tomorrow, no more...bla, bla, bla". Big plans and resolutions don't work. They are the wrong kind of motivators. It's better to start small, be modest, hell, be realistic...and expect to fail. But when you haven't set your expectations too high, it's easier to get back on the horse and try again.
2. Make it personal
Look for motivation in intimate, personal places. For me, my motivation was my family, my health and rock climbing. Let's talk about health for a sec. Here are my LDL, HDL and Cholesterol levels over the last eight years or so.
My last blood test was earlier this year and when I got the results and compared them to, say, 2004, I was blown away. In 2010, my doctor told me that he's concerned about my cholesterol and referred me to a nutritionist, who gave me some generals rules, a sample menu and sent me on my way. It was then that I realized that being the sole provider in our family, I had a responsibility to stay healthy. Furthermore, my son, Yotam, was growing up and starting to walk and run...I was afraid I couldn't keep up with him.
As for rock climbing, it's hard to explain...my little brother took me climbing a few times when we first came back to Israel and I was hooked. I joined a climbing gym, bought some equipment and that was it. Pretty early on I realized that climbing is physics at its best...a simple ratio between power and mass, and if I dropped weight and got stronger I'd be able to climb harder routes. These three simple things were all the motivation I needed to get started and, more importantly, stick with it.
3. Don't suffer
Weight loss and exercise are not one-size-fits-all. Every person is unique. Every body is different. What worked for me, might not work for you. The key, though, is to make it your own and not feeling like you have to suffer through it. As I was loosing weight, there wasn't a single moment where I felt hungry or like I was depriving myself from "the good things in life". If I needed a sweet fix, I'd mix some chocolate-flavored whey protein powder with low-fat yogurt and a few raisins. If I needed a snack, I'd go for a light granola bar. Be creative, don't accept things just because they worked for someone else or because that's how you think they should be. Make them your own.
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