Motivational posters and quotes are everywhere on the internet. But do they really do anything for keeping you motivated to lose fat, get into shape, and crush it in the gym?
Maybe. Maybe not.
Here’s a harsh statistic for you…
Only about 9% of people feel like they achieve their New Year’s Resolutions. And TONS of people commit to going to the gym, losing weight, getting into shape every January.
And most fail.
Many would say they just need motivation, but the truth is we don’t need more motivation. We need better habits and a better strategy.
Here’s why relying on motivation sucks:
1. Motivation is usually fleeting and it comes more quickly from taking action.
Motivation is very much a fickle feeling — much like getting a quick jolt of feel-good emotions when you take a bite of your favorite food, but it doesn’t last longer than a few seconds. It’s all gone in a short period.
And while you might feel motivated in the morning to hit the gym after work, when work rolls around, you might not feel motivated at all and skip it altogether.
2. All high performers are driven by achievement/rewards
… rather than the feel-good in the moment that motivation gives them.
Most everyone who has a high-level achievement (yes, even building their body, getting abs, staying in shape) are not so much worried about feeling motivated all the time and are more focused on working consistently toward their goals.
What this means is they have clear goals and a solid path with the structure to get from point A (fat and unfit) to point B (lean and very fit).
3. Habits are more powerful than motivation.
I’ve covered health habits a ton but here’s what you need to know.
Building a new habit takes work in the beginning, but once you get into the groove of planning your meals, going to the gym during the week and keep it up over time, it becomes almost effortless.
What’s more important is you’ll be building momentum, which is way more powerful than short bursts of motivation. In short, momentum is consistently hitting your daily goals.
Think of rolling a small snowball up a hill. The more you roll, the bigger it gets. And as you approach the top of the hill, it seems difficult but it becomes incredibly easy to push at the top of the hill.
And once you push it down the hill, it picks up speed and becomes nearly impossible to stop. The snowball also gets bigger and bigger, representing the compound effects of consistently pushing toward your fat loss and muscle building goals.
Choose momentum over motivation.
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