Motivation...

"Let motivation be the by product of your life, not the foundation to build upon." -John Maxwell




I get emails all the time from people asking me how I stay motivated and I'm always stumped because I don't know how to explain it and I usually dive into some rant about setting a goal and working toward it with small goals to get me there etc. And as much as that is true, the real truth is I just set my schedule and I am dedicated to it and it's become a habit and THAT motivates me!



What John Maxwell is talking about is the fact that if you wait to be motivated to do something it just might not happen, but if you do what you should do it usually is followed by motivation. I think too often we are waiting for that light bulb moment the "ah ha!" We're thinking motivation is suppose to be magical and mystical and we get jealous of the fact that some people seem to" have it" and we want it too! That's like saying the girl on the cover of Oxygen is so lucky because she has a body like that! LOL When really we all know "luck" has nothing to do with it. It's hard work and dedication to get there. It's sacrificing and being determined to meet our goals. It is doing it even when we don't feel like doing it. In the words of Nike... JUST DO IT!



When we begin to get dedicated and just do the things we are suppose to be doing, whether it is eating clean and following our workout schedule or one more set. Maybe it's work related and we know we have to make so many calls to set the next appointment and just by putting in the work the results begin to come. But when we don't do what we know we are suppose to do, then sure enough, the results don't come and we find ourselves more and more unmotivated.



I do find that when I put in the work, like getting out of bed on the first alarm at 5:00 a.m. and hitting the gym, running my HIIT on the days I am suppose to and do those last sets when it's the toughest, I begin to feel like something is happening. I feel good about myself and I start seeing results and it makes it a little bit easier to get up (Motivation). When I eat clean and plan my meals and snacks and cook ahead of time so I have everything I need to stay on my plan, sure enough, the scale moves and then I get even more excited to stick to it (Motivation). And when I make all my calls and put in the time that I need to, to set appointments, then I have enough work and I'm making good money and I feel good about my success and it makes rejection seem like just another "next!" (Motivation).



So the key is to remember this the next time I'm feeling like I've lost my mojo or I'm in a slump. All I really need to do is start DOING and the motivation to do will follow. It's like saying I want to make a million dollars and then sitting back and waiting for it to fall in my lap... it just doesn't happen that way. So I say motivation doesn't come without hard work. Sure you need to set a plan and a goal and work toward it and there are a million ways to pump yourself up but the best way is to just do it and I guarantee that you will feel better for having done it!



So let the motivation be the by product of your doing the work and I hope you have a VERY Motivated week!