Do you have people in your life telling you that you need to lose weight, eat better, exercise more, or be better in some way? Maybe you even think that they are right, but you just aren’t motivated to do anything about it. Having someone else tell you what you need to does not lead to greater motivation.
Why do we resist making changes in out lives when we know we should or even when other people are telling us? Are we just lazy? Are we not worth it?
The answer is no, you aren’t just lazy. And, yes you are definitely worth it!
Where Does the Motivation Come From?
First of all, other people’s ideas about how you need to be and what you should be doing doesn’t matter, unless of course you’re asking for their advice and they have your best interests at heart. Nobody else knows exactly what you need to do or not do as well as you do. It is up to you to make those decisions and take control of your own life.
Like I said before, having others tell you what to do and how you need to improve is not motivating. It usually sounds like criticism, especially if you haven’t even asked for their opinion. It’s likely to even make you feel rebellious and do the opposite. Motivation is not going to come out of negativity.
Motivation needs to come from a place of support. It needs to come from people (including yourself) that support your decisions. Again, you are in control! Before you are motivated to do anything, you have to decide for yourself if you want to do it. Then you have to figure out why you want it. What will it do for you? Is it important enough to you that you won’t give up after just one little struggle in the process. If it’s not really something you truly desire and that has deep meaning for you, then you’re going to lose motivation pretty quickly.
After figuring out that you want to make changes and have a deep understanding of why it’s important to you, then you can seek support from other’s if you think it may be helpful.
Making a Plan
You will find endless amounts of information about different ways to lose weight, most effective ways to exercise, what to eat, and how to be healthier in general. But none of those things will work it they don’t work for you. There is no perfect exercise plan or perfect diet for everyone. Everybody is different. We don’t all like the same foods or enjoy the same types of activities. Your plan has to be created with your own personal preferences in mind or you’re not going to stick with it, not for the long run anyway.
Sure, there are general nutritional guidelines you can follow to get you started. And, there are plenty of ways to move/exercise to choose from. Eating and moving should be enjoyed, not something that we see as a chore or an obstacle to overcome. So, start from where you are and figure out what works for you. It might take a little extra time figuring it out, but feeling like you needed to make a change didn’t happen overnight either I’m guessing.
Keeping Your Motivation
Once you figure out what works for you, it will become a bit easier to maintain the motivation. But, that doesn’t mean that you’ll always be motivated to make the healthier choices. We all have bad days. Maybe you didn’t get enough sleep and don’t feel like exercising. Maybe you had a bad day at work and are feeling a little depressed or overwhelmed and just don’t have the energy to care about making more decisions today, so you just eat whatever is most convenient for you on your way home or when you get there. These things happen, right?
We all have less than perfect moments and days. Don’t beat yourself up about it. You don’t have to throw in the towel and completely give up because of one bad day, or even a week. You are still worth the effort and you can still continue to make improvements towards the life that you want, even when there are bumps in the road to getting there.
Staying positive is key to staying motivated. Continuing to tell yourself that you deserve it and that you are worth it will reinforce your motivation. Telling yourself that you just can’t do it and that you’re a failure, will lead to just that, not being able to do it and failing to reach your goals.
The Take Away
You’re only going to make changes and stay motivated if you believe in yourself and the reasons you’re making the changes. Be your own biggest cheerleader. Do it for you, nobody else!
Of course, it’s perfectly fine and can help you to stay motivated if you have support from others along the way. If you’re looking for some help and unbiased support during your journey to better health feel free to reach out to me. I’d love to work with you and help you achieve the goals that you are looking forward to. Just click Work With Me to find out more.
