Every act in life, simple or complex requires motivation. Getting out of bed requires motivation. Going to work requires motivation. If there was no motivation whatsoever the simple fact is; we would not perform that act. In my opinion, motivation is the thought process towards achieving a goal or a type of result. Getting out of bed and gong to work may be a choice motivated by earning money, which provides a better lifestyle etc etc…
When it comes to fitness, there has to be motivation in order to want to achieve, perform and actually succeed. You have to make the right choices and ask yourself what fires you up? The answer has to come from deep within, a place strong and constant. Sure, we have all been temporarily motivated by external factors such as warnings about the health effects of being overweight or wanting to look like that actor on T.V. with the ripped body, but these motivations are all but temporary in most cases.
To find ‘real motivation’ you need to find your own burning desire and realise you are the only one that can achieve what you want to. Don’t settle for the soft option. Commit to the real option and once you get used to the necessary sacrifices you will never look back. Does motivation appear out of thin air? Of course not. The following types of motivation will give you a better understanding on what is required to get properly motivated.
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External Motivation
This type of motivation comes from various sources outside of you. An example could be wanting to lose weight because your partner has expressed a desire for you to do so – maybe they have hinted at leaving you if you don’t lose weight. In other words, this source of motivation comes from a place of fear instead of wanting you do something for yourself.
In most cases, external motivation is effective in the beginning, but remove that external source (the partner that wants you to lose weight) and the motivation disappears into thin air as the reason you were motivated is simply no longer present. You no longer have the external motivation and additionally, you will not be used to finding the deep personal motivation to push through the tough times.
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Internal Motivation
Unlike external motivation, internal motivation comes from within. Here are you burning desires, you passions, your drive and your commitment to achieve something that you truly want for yourself. These are without doubt the most powerful motivations you will ever experience. Whilst external motivation may achieve short terms results, internal motivation will keep you going through thick and thin to yield results in the long term. Internally you have made choices brought about by your own burning desires and have envisaged the achievement of these desires to be full of joy and fulfilment upon completion.
You have the power. This type of motivation is what separates the elite athletes from the pretenders, the world champions from the failures. Naturally, there may be days where the drive will not be as strong as others and things may seem tough. This is where the internal desire to succeed drives you through and when you think back to those tough times, you will realise that you beat the demons, you proved just how powerful you can be.
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The Power of Motivation
Over time, one thing has evolved to be the most herculean thing on this planet; its burning desire and power has been the architect of technology, of survival, of medicine and so on. This thing is the human brain and the powerful spirit deep within. We all possess this great power – use yours to achieve something positive. Immerse yourself in this driving state, enjoy the feelings it gives you, rejoice at achievements and successes and most of all, realise that you have the power. You’ll never look back.
Graeme Tomlinson