First of all, I want to address the most real answer to this question, which is using motivation is nonsense and discipline is all you need.
I understand that people may not like it, but, you need some discipline to do pretty much anything! Motivation is completely different and very rarely does anyone have it!
The ability to do tasks even when you don't feel like it can be very useful. An example I would use would be brushing your teeth. Most people aren't motivated or excited to brush their teeth twice a day, However, we do it anyway because it keeps our teeth healthy and therefore benefits our lives.
So there is an example of pure discipline. Discipline you have developed from a young age.
In my opinion, when it comes to other tasks in our lives, for example work, discipline makes us turn up everyday. However, it is motivation that makes us excel beyond the task.
If we now use a comparison and think about fitness as a journey, specifically a marathon. Being disciplined can get you to cross the finish line, but being both disciplined and motivated can help you win the race, or at least finish very highly!
Discipline takes time to build. Remember back to brushing your teeth. You find that easy due to the fact whoever taught you to do it, helped you build that discipline in that specific task.
However, you may take pride in your teeth, so may be motivated to care for them as best you can, so that they are pearly white!
Motivation helps, there's no denying that! However, lack of motivation is not a reason for failure in a task. That's discipline.
Now, let's start to address some reasons why you might not feel motivated and how you can build your discipline.
-Have A Look At Your Programme-
Is your workout routine working for you? A Lot of people may do whatever exercises they feel like doing on the day with no structure which will not lead to significant progress or results. I would always recommend trying to stick to a structured routine for at least a month. This will help build your discipline of exercising, but you can still change what the exercising is for you.
You may find yourself gaining strength, losing weight or building muscle depending on what your goals are. There are so many options when it comes to fitness! Whether it's Powerlifting, CrossFit, Calisthenics or Bodybuilding as just a few examples. Don't feel like just because one doesn't work for you something else won’t. Always be open to try new things!
**(Remember you get free programming with our memberships, so talk to one of our team about updating your programme to help!)**
-How Much Do You Care?-
Have a look at your goals and decide if you really care that much about reaching them. Whether they are your goals or goals you think you should reach because of others opinions. Will reaching these goals actually make you happy? You might not care about popular goals like being extremely muscular or having visible abs which is okay!
-Try To Make Fitness Fun!-
If you have decided that you don't care that much about the more conventional fitness goals, you can think of ways to make fitness fun and that may make you motivated. You might not be motivated to go to the gym or go on a run, but you might be motivated to play tennis with friends, play basketball or go for a walk while listening to some music. You could also find that if you do get into basketball for example, you might want to do squats and other exercises to enhance that activity, not to necessarily look ‘better’.
-Other Factors-
When it comes to motivation I generally believe if other aspects of our lives, for example diet and sleep are in order, we should want to exercise! Not because we have to but because it's good for us and enjoyable. Are you getting all the nutrients you need? Are you eating enough? Are there any ways you can improve the quality of your sleep? All of these questions are important to think about.
Yes, you can go down a rabbit hole with health and fitness ideas to imprve your life. BUT! KEEP IT SIMPLE! Take ONE thing at a time. Build the discipline.
-Take Away Points-
1) Motivation and discipline are different, so don't rely on motivation.
2) Discipline takes time to build, so give yourself that time.
3) Other factors can play in your feeling of motivation. Try to address them (one at a time - build the individual discipline).
I hope this helped :)
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