I often get asked by clients how do I stay motivated all the time?? The simple answer is , I don’t.  I’m only human and I believe humans are allowed to fall off the wagon and get distracted by exciting and pretty things and get lost in the field of dreams…so to speak (although field of dreams was a great movie right??!).

As a personal trainer my job is to motivate you, help you achieve your goals and look after you. Notice I didn’t say the word “I” in there? In all honesty sometimes I get so involved about only caring for my clients that I forget about myself.  Training and nutrition don’t seem to matter too much and I end up feeling very unmotivated. Personal trainers need to

lead by example otherwise i’m a big fat hypocrite and nobody likes being a hypocrite (or fat for that matter).

I reassure my clients that it’s natural to sometimes lose motivation. You are not alone.

Things like illness and injury can really set motivation levels on a landslide. When i’m sick I don’t want to think about exercise, starting again can be VERY hard.

So when life gets in the way how do we keep our motivation up when it comes to our nutrition and exercise? Here are some tips that you might find helpful.

1. Who and what inspires you? Do you have a motivating friend or mentor you can see and discuss your situation? Sometimes when I feel down I call someone from my board (I have an imaginary boardroom and have people in my life sitting at the table who I respect, admire and know will lift me up and support me) this person makes me feel better and i’m on my way to success again. Just remember the support goes both ways, you don’t want to become an energy vampire! Inspiration comes from many sources, real life stories, songs, tv shows (believe it or not), books, research. Wherever you find your inspiration, know how to access it and use it when needed.

2. Identify the energy zappers.  Are there people in your life who are a negative influence and leave you feeling down? You don’t need that. Have you set yourself unrealistic goals and placed too much pressure on yourself? Sometimes When I am feeling super motivated I set myself too many goals. I love a good side project but what I soon realise is that i’m trying to do too many things, end up completing nothing and feel very ‘what’s the point’ about it. Identify your stressors  and eliminate them. Keep things simple and realistic.

3. Are your goals clear? Goal setting is your most important tool (apart from your thoughts) for success. If you don’t have clear and concise goals set with a deadline, what are you going to achieve? Do you even know? Have you thought about it? It’s hard to achieve much when you don’t know what you want, have a good think.

3. Let’s get excited! Who would seriously put a lot of effort into a goal they didn’t care about? No one. In my experience, people who want to lose weight have an emotional reason to do so. People don’t just lose weight just because it’s something to do, there is either a clear reason i.e I want to look my best in my wedding dress or a hidden desire i.e I don’t want to end up alone and I lack confidence to meet anyone. Your goals are completely up to you. You should have an emotional attachment to that goal so that every time you think about the end result you get excited. Do your current goals make you feel excited??

 

Let’s get personal.

I have found myself in a slump a few times. It’s easy to fall back into bad habits or create new ones. So here’s what I personally do to get back on the motivation train.

1. I acknowledge and accept that i’m in a bit of a rut. I consciously make a decision to pull myself out of it.

2. I call in for back up and organise to meet up with someone I like being around who has a positive affect on me. This lifts my mood.

3. I reassess my goals and find something that makes me happy.

4. I remember that my clients are very important but so is my own health. How can I care about them but not myself, that’s just silly and setting a bad example.

5. I fake it. Is anyone in a good mood all the time? Nope. But I don’t want to show people i’m feeling down, walking around with a frown on your face is very unattractive (and causes wrinkles, who needs that!). Whack a smile on your face and fake it, your body will read the signals of you smiling and begin to feel better, no joke. A smile is also contagious, why not make someone’s day by smiling at them 🙂

6. I listen to upbeat music, I have what  I call my ‘pick me up playlist’, if i’m in public I end up with a smile on myself and if alone I usually end up dancing like a fool, but hey I feel better!

7. I gain perspective, so what if I haven’t trained this week and feeling sluggish, it’s not a tragedy. At least I am fortunate enough to start again using my fully functional body and can afford to eat. There are a lot of people worse off than me.

8. Sweep out the negativity. There is no room in my head for negative thoughts. Of course I get them but it’s up to me to turn them away and replace them with positive ones.

9. Look after myself. Sleep plays a major role in health and making healthy changes. Sleep is when your body and mind repair itself, don’t underestimate the power of a good nights sleep, a thorough work out and balanced meal.

10. Just do it. Sometimes I get so caught up in my head I achieve nothing. Take small steps and take that big goal and chip away at it till it’s a reality. If you don’t feel like exercising and are procrastinating whether to do it or not, just do it, trust me you will feel so much better after.

Remember you are not alone, if you feel like you need a bit of external motivation to get you through perhaps you would benefit from having a personal trainer or life coach. To get you going on your goal setting check out my article here.

If you have any ideas on how to stay motivated please share them with me via the contact page or the Reve facebook page