Once again, you guys have outdone yourselves by shattering our 75-comment goal on the previous post about setting powerful goals.
And, as promised, today I’m back with another great inspiring lesson for you.
Today, we’re going to build on what we talked about with more focus on motivation.
I’m sure you’ve had moments in your life when you were totally motivated and pumped up, right?
And I’m certain that you’ve also had moments when you were not so motivated.
We’ve all been there. We’ve all had a great days and other days that we’d rather forget.
But what is the key to getting and staying motivated for as long as possible?
This is important question to consider since consistency plays a big role in whether or not you reach your health and fitness goals.
I mean, what’s the point of working out 5 days in a row, then not doing anything for a week, and then starting all over again? That’s a great way to do things if you want to stay frustrated.
But if you want results, then you need to look within to find out what makes you tick and what it’s going to get you fired up!
To help you figure out what motivates you, I’ve put together this video. Watch and apply!
=> Today, I want to know what has kept you from reaching your goals? What obstacles or challenges have hindered your motivation? At least 100 comments today guys because the more you tell me, the better I can help you!
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The BIG DAY is just around the corner! It’s all happening in…
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hmmm, well, I have no excuses, I’m just plain old lazy!! I’m just being honest with myself… I need to come out with a plan and make exercise fun, not just a chore. I actually started to run up the stairs at work after lunch (my office is on the 7th floor. That is a good start right? Yes I know I should do more than that…just wait, I need to take baby steps… I will let you know my plan…
It may not be for everyone but if it is possible, try getting into a morning excercise group class. You will only have to battle the lazy feeling once in the morning. If you can get through that and make it to class you will be good to go. It will become part of your routine like brushing your teeth and if you miss a class you will feel off.
I enjoy the morning workouts as well. It’s such a great way to start the day and get the ball rolling.
For some reason I’m lazy. I don’t want to get on that bike or go for that walk, or lift some weights. I suppose I might be motivated if I had someone to do it with, but I don’t. Once a year I’m in a production where we dance hard core for a few weeks and I’m in exercise heaven. But I live in a rural area with not much to offer. Along that line there are few men to impress here and I think that is why I remain average rather than great.
In the food arena, I have made some progress. I have studied and have been making head way in making better food choices. Still not a lot of healthy offerings in my neck of the woods, but I search and get some stuff online.
I use to run 3 times a week. I initially set out to run for an hour and over a few months I actually achieved that. I ran for 1 hour 15mins 3 times a week. Even during the hottest day here in South Australia which was 46.8C I managed to run for 2.5km before needing to walk the rest of the way. At work I felt more energized and it was also fun to tell my workmates and see their surprised expressions, “Your crazy” and what not. It was an ego boost. But I didn’t know what the steps were to care for my body between runs. What food to eat to repair muscle, how to keep ligiments from stressing, I didn’t really have a program in play and eventually I started to ask myself “Why am I doing this?!” I halved the distance and then dropped away all together. I think I just needed to prove that I could run for an hour but once I reached that goal I didn’t know how to stay motivated to keep doing it.
Just lazy I think, the mind thinks it should do these things i.e exercise, eating healthly and less.
Feel I do not have the energy to start. Could do with an injection of motivation, would be nice to be able to take a motivation pill.
I have started to read my fitness magazine half an hour before I go to sleep. I used to switch off my computer and go straight to bed and then wonder why I found it difficult to sleep. So I am as you say, reading positive things about my health & fitness just before I sleep and I am getting much better sleep so waking up with more energy. Today I start Nordic walking, my employer has laid on a 6 week course at lunchtime and I was one of the first to sign up! I know what my goals are and the reasons why but by writing them down as you suggest I’m making them real, black & white in front of me, I will write them out more often to remind myself where I want to be and why! Thanks Yuri! x
It’s all the hard work. It’s hard work running, lifting weights, keeping a routine, eating properly, and if you have lots of weight to lose, at times it’s daunting… and … it’s scary. What will happen if you lose all your weight and look lean and healthy? How will you be looked at especially if people have known you “this way” for so long?
WAKE UP TIRED AND GO TO BED MORE TIRED! I SECOND THE MOTIVATION PILL.
I LOVE WALKING BUT CANNOT GET MYSELF MOTIVATED ENOUGH.
I DO BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BUDDY YOU CAN CHAT TO WHEN WALKING.
PERHAPS IT IS LAZINESS AS WELL.
AT THE MOMENT IT IS REALLY TOO COLD AS I WORK ALL DAY AND GET HOME DO WHAT IS REQUIRED TO KEEP THING GOING AROUND THE HOUSE AND ANIMALS, THEN IT IS DARK.
I WILL DO SOMETHING WHEN IT WARMS UP. I OWE THAT MUCH TO MYSELF.
Thanks for your video. I think you have nailed it on the head in that you have to think of what you would get out of eating and exercizing better ie. a goal, cause ultimately you are the only one that wins. Also to clutter your life with pictures and words about health and fitness is a good one to because after a while you would probably find yourself thinking and doing things down the right road!
Well… as I’m a 16 y/o student, I’d sometimes have contact with girls, trying to get their attention. But at the moment I’m still pretty skinny and out of shape, when I would be lean with some mass I’d definitly have more self-coincidence around friends. Taking my shirt of without even thinking of what people would think about me being out of shape would be great.
This is an obstacle… I’ve thought alot about cutting down to a lean shape but my workout partners said I should continue putting one mass or else I’ll just look like a walking skeleton with abs like before.
I’m currently doing a very clean bulk and wil continue that once I’ve leaned down next summer to an acceptable bodyfat % (around 9%).
I play my own home game of Big Looser, I make a plan to loose a certain amount of weight by the end of the week and I compete with myself, I never get kicked off the show, because its my show at home, how do I stay motivated? competing against myself!!! I know I will win, because I don’t quit! why would I
stop, if I am not happy with my weight, so I keep on until my
change comes….!
Motivate my self I need live the present consider the future!
At all time I deg a path is with the project to see the Everest, from the seed or nursery plant:
_
will going to be planted : Future visualisation!
Monica
I have no motivation. I know what I have to do, but it’s just to hard 50kg to lose so I can have both knees replaced. I am not able to walk far, can not get on the floor. Dr is no help calls you names because you are still fat after 12mths. I have goals wrote them down, have done what you said but……….
Thanks for the motivation tips…I am actually going to send your video clip to my 2 teenage daughters and son. One who is nineteen and has no goals just yet(UGH!),one that is in training to get a college tennis scholarship somewhere,age sixteen and twin brother who likes to do everything. Hopefully it will get and keep them on track…because we all know teenagers love to hear what needs to be done by their parents…thanks and maybe they will listen to another voice!
Yuri, Writing down my goals and the reasons why is a BIG help. I make lists of things I need to do for work or family every day and I get those done, so this will be a list of things to do for me! I sometimes spend too much time reading and planning what I’m going to do, now it is time to DO IT!! I like the ideas of surrounding yourself with the positive, let’s forget about the negative!! It is really very motivational to WRITE DOWN my goals, it somehow has made it more real and I like reading it over the next day! Thank you for getting me on track!!
I would have to say time, is my biggest obstacle. My next is organization. Some days there is just not enough time in the day and if there is, I tend to fill it with all different errands and then exercise gets pushed out.
I love the idea of giving yourself positive reinforcement just before you go to sleep. A lovely way to end the day!
I would say listening to negative self talk ~ my own in my head and my husband and friends. I’m 62 and my husband and friends see that as being “old” ~ “too old to be doing all this running/exercising!” When I do run on a regular basis and eat mostly raw meals, I do feel better and have more energy. But when life gets busy and I hear negative feedback that “I’m working too hard” or “I’m going to hurt myself”, I start to think maybe they’re right and I should give myself a break. Then I start to listen to my own inner voice that says “You’ve been working really hard and you need a rest”. Once I break my schedule/pattern, I seem to stop ~ so it’s an all or nothing thing. I seem to get lost in confusion of what’s balanced and healthy and what’s really too much. Wow I think I just had an ah ha moment –I think I stop because I don’t BELIEVE in myself and my ability to really do this. This lack of belief than makes it easy to lose motivation and then give my self permission to not run or exercise.
For me it is time. I run out of it. Here is my schedule:
5:00 a.m. feed dogs, eat breakfast, pack lunches and leave to catch a train by 6:15 a.m. Work till 4:00 p.m. then catch a train for home. 4:45 p.m. get home, feed the dogs, make dinner, do dishes, and then do one of laundry, housework, gardening (cutting the grass, large lot takes an hour on a rideum), or take care of one of a zillion things that need to be done around the house. At 9:00 p.m. I make lunches for me and my husband and go to bed so I can do it all again the next day. I used to get up at 4:00 a.m. as I like exercising in the morning as I feel I get the most benefit from it but it disturbs my husband, who is not a morning person, and the dogs think they should eat earlier cause I’m up. So time is my reason for not exercising.
Its true, no one can really motive you, you have to do it for yourself. I did really good for 2 yrs. lost weight and kept it off, but then my routine changed like 5 times in a year because of work, therefore my schedule kept on changing and I just couldn’t keep up going to the gym regularly and eating healthy….and gained some of the weight back. Now I’m trying to loose it again, I know is possible. Now, my motivation is to see how little by little I can fit into my clothes, which I havent wore in a year because of weight gain, but this time, I want to loose more than what I had lost before!
I have been pushing this thought in and out of my head for weeks. i need to hit the ground running on my workouts and stop just thinking about them
Time and yes organisation is a big problem for me. Single mum with 4yr old and work and 2 dogs its hard to fit everything into a single day. I do come home from work and walk the dogs during my lunch break – i think maybe i need to get up earlier.
I’m a firm believer in writing goals and it does help you stay on track. I have no problems going to the gym and working out. I love it. My challenge is juggling priorities with limited time. Working, travelling out of town for work and studying. Biggest challenge is eating right and making appropriate food choices. Going to the gym is a must for me but when I come back home, I choose quick and easy foods which may not be healthy.
It’s been just over a year since i started using Yuri’s programs and that really has helped me stay motivated, it’s been the longest run, for me, of consistent exercise and the proof is in the pudding. I have lost about 25 pounds(with about 10 more to go) and am in the best shape of my life! But I am at that critical hump point, I haven’t lost any more weight in about 6 weeks even though i am doing the same amount of work and i have even tried to give the extra 1%. It’s summer and my diet is not great it’s ok but not great, these facts have messed with my motivation and now i am a little easier on myself if I skip a workout. I need help staying focused.
Rory – stay focused! Go over your goals and make that they are stronger than your desire for unhealthy foods. Also realize that the fitter you get, the more you’re going to have to pay closer attention to the little details in order to get smaller improvements. It’s the law of diminishing returns.
I used to pay my personal trainer £240 a month to help get me in shape for the CRICKET SEASON here in England last year. I was soo damn motivated, i used to eat 100% healthy. within no time i had seen my body like never before. my abs were showing slowly my chest was a little flat though but i was soo keen to go till the end to get all the results. However just into my fourth game of season i went for a quick sprint suddenly and tour my hamstring on my right leg. This moment took alot out of me and have never really trained after. since then i have pulled my hamstrings on both legs, 3 times. after all that people always say “it’s because you are not fit enough, thats why you keep pulling your hamstrings” little do they know that i became so fit to only tear my hamstring and i know such is life and people will always talk trash but it hurts more when these people play a big role in your life. maybe i am using this as an excuse for not training or eating healthy or maybe this is why i am leaving a comment so perhaps somebody can say something to inspire me to motivate myself again. ITS CRAZY BUT I ACTUALLY FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT MYSELF AFTER TYPING ALL THATS ON MY MIND. THANKS YURI.
Hussain
I feel your pain Hussain. A similar dip in motivation happened to me when I stopped playing soccer. The key is to set your sights on a new goal and make sure that it excites you!
In order to maintain my weight I need to both exercise and eat healthy. I manage excercise by getting up at 5:45 and doing a workout before heading to work. For me, doing this seven days a week (with only the occasional day off) works as it puts me in a routine and I feel really guilty if I miss a day (and my husband reminds me, even though he doesn’t exercise). If my morning workout is shortened for some reason, I add a half-hour walk at lunchtime. When I left exercising to after work/evenings it almost never happened. I am not a morning person; it is a daily fight to get going at 5:45. I alternate between cardio and weights. My downfall is work where I am looking at cookies, candies, chocolates, cakes, pies, etc. all day; the people in my office love to eat (and none exercises either). I plan to bring in something small to sit on my desk as a reminder to ignore all the foods I know I shouldn’t eat!
This is exactly my situation! I work out consistently when I have a routine that minimizes any possible excuses. 6:30 am right before work. I almost never miss a session. I do a group class which also helps and the program is constantly changing which also helps. When I was working out alone and at night, there were too many excuses making me miss. My work also has tons of junk and I have a sweet tooth so it is hard to say no. I keep all kinds of healthy substitute snacks in my desk drawer.
I think you need to have an office meeting and get that junk out of there! I can’t understand why so many companies are still feeding such garbage to their employees!!!
My obstacle – I’m lazy! Especially when it comes to exercise. The food part I’m okay with, it’s getting up off the couch and moving my body that I struggle with. It does help when you have a clear goal and a plan to acheive that goal. No one can make you do what you need to do. For me, reading your emails Yuri, and watching your videos, has been an inspiration and I’ve started exercising for the first time. Consistancy is the key.
Awesome Nichole. Just take one thing at a time. You’ll be surprised at how easy it is once you just start. The momentum will carry you forth.
I have three little children that come first. Need I say more??
Wow! I think I can relate to most of the comments above… lazy, time, energy, schedule conflicts, etc. However, I think my biggest challenge is not seeing the results quickly enough. I need to make sure healthy food and exercise are part of my everyday life and be a bit more patient when looking for the results of good living!
I understand your frustration Joni. Think of it this way…
Pilots can’t always see where they’re going (ie. results) because of clouds, darkness, or other factors, but they know that if they follow their flight path (ie. the plan) they will get to their destination. So will you if you have faith in yourself and the process.
Since I’m with your Fitter U Fitness Program I have no problem waking up at 5:15 am and hitting the gym because I KNOW I’m gonna spend those 30min plus doing something beneficial for me. However…..my waterloo is food…even though I don’t eat meat, dairy, wheat, and sugar because I have food sensitivities to some of these, sometimes I find it hard to stick to a super healthy diet and I always crave to buy savory foods…..everyday is a battle between me and my urge to buy take out food. With your help, I’m trying to do my best.
That’s great Laia. Try just doing just ONE thing at a time. Now that you have the workouts down, try removing or adding just one food from your diet each week. Basically, create ONE new habit at a time.
Eveyln, you do indeed need to believe in yourself. I’m about your age and some of my friends likewise think I take fitness a bit too seriously, but I know it works for me. Anything we can do to ward off diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, loss of balance, high blood pressure, etc. is all for the good. (Gee, aging has its pitfalls!) And I remember my father who, at age 90, could still run up a flight of stairs with ease. Do what you can for as long as you can.
I know what I need to do but just can’t seem to get up and do it.. I wake up tired and seem to be like that every day .. My walking buddy has bagged on me and I have been battling my weight for so long that it tires me just to think about it.. I seem to self sabatoge myself every time and cant seem to get out of the rut.. Can use some ideas to gete my motivation going again ..
Not worry Judy. I’ve got what you’re looking for – coming next Tuesday!
As simple as it sounds I’ve never written it down!! I will now and see what happens.
Motivation can be attacked from many angles. If you feel your results are not equal to your effort that can be a real motivation killer. Comparing yourself, your workout, your diet to others and believing that they are doing better than you are can also diminsh motivation. Lastly, trying to balance your family obligations, time at work, and social obligations with your workouts and nutrition goals can be challenging.
Education, information and action help me stay motivated. Education – know that everyone is different. Learn more about your body. I had check up, had my body fat measured and took that info to registered/licensed dietician to find out what my caloric needs were. Information – Over the years I have researched and tried many workout methods – FitterU works for me. It’s challenging but not complicated, offers variety and just makes sense. I often have people at the gym come up to me and compliment my efforts, ask what my routine is and commend me for doing advanced exercises. Action – when you find a program you like – you’ll want to do it and you will feel better after you do it which will keep you coming back.
Balancing things in your life takes a little more work. People can be very hard on themselves – so give yourself a break. You can’t do everything all the time – be realistic. Rest and low stress is an important part of becoming a healthier person.
Two and a half years ago my husband and i left our family and friends and moved to norway, he works a lot and i spend most of my time at home with our 2 year old son, i have not yet manageged to grasp the language and have found it hard to make new friends, i began to feel very isolated and depressed and a little homesick which has lead to me having no motivation for anything. Now i don’t want to sound cheesy but since i stumbled across your eating for energy book i seem to have found my motivation, i have started changing my diet and organising my kitchen and making plans to exercise and take a language course. Im really quite excited and so i just wanted to say thanks
Thanks Yuri for the video and ideas. I have lost 40 pounds since the beginning of January. I have done a series of things to do this such as a 2 week run on the master cleanse, eating raw, and working out 4 to 5 times a week. My badge picture at work is my fat picture. I look at it everyday. This plus the fact that I feel so amazing, keeps me motivated.
my main motivation for eating well and staying fit is so I can do what I love and that is run the beautiful hill county in Austin TX. However since this is a lone sport for me (plus the dogs) I fall into the trap that I can eat and do what others do who don’t long to stay fit for running. So goal setting is def. a good idea for me. looking fwd to the next videos for encouragement
I joined CalFit many years ago when I was seventeen. I’m still a member of the gym but find it difficult to go continuously. I’d work out six days a week for a couple of weeks then stop for a few weeks. I joined another gym also where I take classes to stay motivated but sometimes still find excuses not to go. With the luncheons and parties at work its especially hard to stay on track. What motivates me most is looking good at an upcoming occasion/party. It gives me a couple months to work towards my goal to be able to fit into the dress I got.
I don’t think it’s because I’m lazy, but many days I feel that way. I’m just not motivated. I spent 2 years eating healthy, exercising, doing all the right things, lost 64lbs in the process and felt like a million bucks. But after about the 2 year mark I completely lost interest in exercising every morning. I had reached my goals and was no longer inspired when I looked in the mirror. Gradually the bad eating habits resurfaced and here I am today, 2 years later, having gained back the majority of those 64lbs, feeling completely frustrated with myself for doing so. In between I managed to quit smoking, which I contribute to partially regaining some of that weight, as I replaced my cigarette cravings with sweet snacks (one of those bad behaviours I mentioned earlier!).
So now I work full time, 2 kids (8 and 9), 2 dogs (who are also overweight – go figure), and a busy routine evenings and weekends. Mornings are my best time but I simply can’t motivate myself anymore to get up early enough to hit the gym. And honestly, the thought of exercising at the gym again just doesn’t motivate me. So I guess I’m stuck in a self-defeating rut… HELP!!!
Motivation is not really a problem with me. It’s my energy level for the goals that I have set for myself. They are having a hard time matching.
Thank you for your words of wisdom. Goals…hhmmmm
Well for sure I finally hear that exercise is part of my daily living plan. It is almost as hard as trying to figure out what to make for dinner. But I get it!!! It’s a lifelong daily liestyle. Keep up the great work. Thanks for inspiring me–I love the idea of all positive things enveloping my family. Like i knew that, and I forget it. Thanks for the reminder. Looking forward to tuesday.
what stops me from being motivated is the fear of failure and not being able to reach my goals…
My biggest problem with motivation is myself… negative self talk, sabotaging my own diet… crazy stuff. I started playing beach volleyball just over a year ago and now that I’ve basically proven to myself that I can stick with something if I make it fun, I have no more excuses for not exercising. A friend just bought a membership at the same gym as me and we have developed a work out plan. Yesterday another friend just asked if I would start swimming with her. The opportunities are there, I just have to be willing to take them!
I had to stop working because of a medical condtion, that literal makes me ache like the flu all the time. This has been for years, (40+) when I worked, finding time to exercise was almost next to none. Now I’ m sometimes up in the middle of the night, doing yoga. This is the best stretch for me. It has also helped me clear some of the cobwebs out of my brain. Pain and chronic makes bad bed fellows. I have lost 10 lbs- but stress has added into this factor as well. My goal now is too tone and firm up, to help 60 look like the new 50.
I was highly motivated Jan. – May as I wanted to improve my carpal tunnel and lose 35 pounds by Aug. 1. However, after losing 17 pounds by the end of May, I decided to ease up my my diet and eat what I wanted. Needless to say, I gained 6 pounds and my hands got worse.
So a week ago I went back to eating raw, lo-fat vegan and am back on track. I lose motivation when I feel deprived watching those around me eating what they want, smelling cooked food, etc.
Just remember how much better you feel (and look) when you stay on plan. They’re the ones who are losing out.