Create Unstoppable Fitness Workout Motivation
- Date: 2007-06-12 - Word Count: 791
Share This!
It's been said that human beings are motivated to play any game they believe they can win. The inevitable inverse of this behavioral truism probably reveals much about why many people stop short of making their body improvement dreams a reality. They're simply not convinced they possess the fortitude or know-how to bring to fruition what they'd consider to be "winning" at this game. Thus, they opt to carry on the seemingly painless status quo of remaining 'out of shape' rather than risk what they'd consider as "losing"; another failed diet or unfinished 'get-in-shape' resolution. This is often the deep-seated cause of procrastination.
Many times, this mental phenomenon is at the root of what has us put off taking action toward any life-improving yet challenging desire. The need to avoid what we perceive to be possible future pain can create an internal representation that's infinitely more real than the picture we see of possible future benefit from taking action. It is for this reason that a powerful catalyst is often needed to get us from a "stuck state" into a state of movement toward a goal. And the best catalyst for doing just that has always been and always will be the power of 'Reasons'.
We need strong and compelling reasons to start anything worthwhile. We need reasons that excite us and override the downward pull of intrinsic human complacency. Sometimes we need reasons that include the benefits to be bestowed upon people close to us. But regardless of the subjective structure or reach of our reasons, we need them to be personally powerful enough to light the fuse of our powder keg of passion that blasts us into movement from a dead standstill. In short, we need reasons that spawn action.
Before beginning the steps toward any challenging goal, you will increase your odds of following through until its accomplishment if you consciously and exhaustively list the reasons you wish to achieve that goal. This can be done in your head or on paper. However, putting it down on paper will ensure the exhaustiveness that allows the weight of your reasons to override any tendency toward quitting prior to accomplishment of what you've set out to do. So a goal written at the top of your paper and a long list of the benefits of achieving it written underneath can both ignite and sustain motivational fire.
But what if you take that a step further? What if you write down every reason in the form of positive benefits that will come to you on one side of the paper and everything you'll miss out on if you don't accomplish the goal on the other side? In addition, you could write down indirect effects of each of these scenarios. So if your goal is getting your body into lean, hard, and muscular shape, your list of benefits could be like this:
1. More energy
2. More attractiveness
3. Better health
4. Higher self-esteem
5. Improved hormone ratios
However, your list of secondary beneficial reasons that are offshoots of the primary one's could go on and on:
1. Increased career productivity = more promotions = higher income = better lifestyle…
2. Able to attract a mate or re-kindle a flagging relationship = more affection = security.
3. Increased energy/vitality = more enjoyable life = positive demeanor = better relationships.
4. Better performance at everything = more positive impact = more fulfilling life.
5. Better sex = ….. Improved sex life.
After writing out as many positive reasons as possible, you can create a lot of "moving-away-from motivation" by writing down the inverse of these benefits. You can make a list of all the great things you might never experience if you don't get your body in to better shape. While some would argue that we should only use positive "moving-toward reasons", many of us need the perception of future pain to jar ourselves out of a stuck state of no movement. So let's just take the first two benefits above and use them as examples:
1. If I never get in shape, I could miss out on all the benefits of higher energy levels. I might lose countless hours of productivity that having more energy could produce. This lost productivity could equate to lost income, lifestyle, health and self-esteem.
2. If I get further out of shape, I could lose the opportunity to attract a special person in to my life, or (if "spoken for") I might lose attractiveness in the eyes of my spouse or significant other.
I'm sure you get the idea. Whenever you have trouble mustering motivation to accomplish a challenging goal, start accumulating your reasons. Gather and internalize both the positive gains you'll acquire when you've achieved the goal and everything you could lose if you don't. Doing this can both shoot you out of the starting gate into action and give you seemingly unstoppable momentum once you're moving.
Many times, this mental phenomenon is at the root of what has us put off taking action toward any life-improving yet challenging desire. The need to avoid what we perceive to be possible future pain can create an internal representation that's infinitely more real than the picture we see of possible future benefit from taking action. It is for this reason that a powerful catalyst is often needed to get us from a "stuck state" into a state of movement toward a goal. And the best catalyst for doing just that has always been and always will be the power of 'Reasons'.
We need strong and compelling reasons to start anything worthwhile. We need reasons that excite us and override the downward pull of intrinsic human complacency. Sometimes we need reasons that include the benefits to be bestowed upon people close to us. But regardless of the subjective structure or reach of our reasons, we need them to be personally powerful enough to light the fuse of our powder keg of passion that blasts us into movement from a dead standstill. In short, we need reasons that spawn action.
Before beginning the steps toward any challenging goal, you will increase your odds of following through until its accomplishment if you consciously and exhaustively list the reasons you wish to achieve that goal. This can be done in your head or on paper. However, putting it down on paper will ensure the exhaustiveness that allows the weight of your reasons to override any tendency toward quitting prior to accomplishment of what you've set out to do. So a goal written at the top of your paper and a long list of the benefits of achieving it written underneath can both ignite and sustain motivational fire.
But what if you take that a step further? What if you write down every reason in the form of positive benefits that will come to you on one side of the paper and everything you'll miss out on if you don't accomplish the goal on the other side? In addition, you could write down indirect effects of each of these scenarios. So if your goal is getting your body into lean, hard, and muscular shape, your list of benefits could be like this:
1. More energy
2. More attractiveness
3. Better health
4. Higher self-esteem
5. Improved hormone ratios
However, your list of secondary beneficial reasons that are offshoots of the primary one's could go on and on:
1. Increased career productivity = more promotions = higher income = better lifestyle…
2. Able to attract a mate or re-kindle a flagging relationship = more affection = security.
3. Increased energy/vitality = more enjoyable life = positive demeanor = better relationships.
4. Better performance at everything = more positive impact = more fulfilling life.
5. Better sex = ….. Improved sex life.
After writing out as many positive reasons as possible, you can create a lot of "moving-away-from motivation" by writing down the inverse of these benefits. You can make a list of all the great things you might never experience if you don't get your body in to better shape. While some would argue that we should only use positive "moving-toward reasons", many of us need the perception of future pain to jar ourselves out of a stuck state of no movement. So let's just take the first two benefits above and use them as examples:
1. If I never get in shape, I could miss out on all the benefits of higher energy levels. I might lose countless hours of productivity that having more energy could produce. This lost productivity could equate to lost income, lifestyle, health and self-esteem.
2. If I get further out of shape, I could lose the opportunity to attract a special person in to my life, or (if "spoken for") I might lose attractiveness in the eyes of my spouse or significant other.
I'm sure you get the idea. Whenever you have trouble mustering motivation to accomplish a challenging goal, start accumulating your reasons. Gather and internalize both the positive gains you'll acquire when you've achieved the goal and everything you could lose if you don't. Doing this can both shoot you out of the starting gate into action and give you seemingly unstoppable momentum once you're moving.
Related Tags: fitness, diet, motivation, body building, lose fat, bodybuilding, workout, muscle building, body shaping, workout routines, losing fat, fitness workouts
Scott Abbett is the author of HardBody Success: 28 Principles to Create Your Ultimate Body and Shape Your Mind for Incredible Success. To see his personal transformation, visit www.hardbodysuccess.com Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Dental Insurance For Individual Can Be Of Help At Time
Dental problem may cost one a lot of money and pain. But, practicing a reasonable care could decreas - Personal Trainer For Perfect Health
There is a general misconception that need for a fitness trainer comes for novice or from those who - Varicose Veins - Causes, Symptoms, Treatment
The majority of people after thirty notice the changes that appear with the maturing. In this case t - Scenar Therapy - Self-treatment Or Healing Partnership
Do you want to learn about a device which will help you to ease your pain? If you get this kind of a - Scenar - 5 "no, Nos" Of Scenar
Are you fed up with the pain in your body? Various parts of our body seem to ache due to different r - Scenar Device - 5 Tips On Travelling With Your Scenar (skenar) Device
You might be aware of scenar which has become quite popular these days. This is actually the acronym - Scenar Therapy - How To Treat Your Pet With Scenar
There are many alternative methods of treatment that are being invented these days. Lots of people a - Your Options For The Treatment For Appendicitis
Appendicitis is considered to be a surgical illness. Due to its severe character, the treatment for - How To Choose The Right Copd Medication
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD does not have any cure. But with the help of medicines - Septic Arthritis: Infectious Agents Penetrate Joints' Spaces
Another major type of arthritis is septic arthritis, which is also known in various terms like: pyog
Most viewed articles in this category:
- Drugs - the Last Alternative for Adhd in Kids
Anyone over the age of thirty who has grown up with ADHD understands that there was not much help av - Foods To Eat To Gain Weight
Malnutrition has the same degree of problem as obesity. There are people who are too skinny, they fi - Understanding Postpartum Clothing
The same way most pregnant women dream of the day when they will begin showing for wearing maternity - Kegel Exercising for Bladder Control and Enhanced Sexual Pleasure
Kegel exercises strengthen the muscles of the pelvic floor, thereby improving the urethra and/or rec - The Use Of Weight Loss Herbs
Nothing has garnered more attention in today's world than the success or failures of weight loss pro - A Simple Acid Relux Cure
Many people today are afflicted with heartburn. If they eat food that is too spicy, they get heartbu - Five Effective Household Back Pain Treatments
Back pain treatment comes in lots of forms, from exercise to pain mediction. Standard and most wides - Herbal Remedies - Can They Cure What Ails You?
You've probably heard about herbal remedies before and how they can treat a variety of health proble - Natural Relief for Tinnitus - What are your Choices
Natural Relief For Tinnitus - Alternative Options Did you know that there are an estimated 50 t - Birthing Around the World
Since ancestral times, different cultures showed off different customs and beliefs around the miracl