3 Step Formula For Motivation
I often talk to people who say things like “I find it hard to stay motivated” or “I just can’t keep motivated” etc… Maybe you’ve said something like that before?
Well there is good news and bad news…
The good news is that everyone suffers from this and I am yet to meet anyone who one day woke up “motivated” and stayed that way without a lot work. So you’re in good company!
The bad news is that there is no getting around the fact that staying “motivated” requires A LOT of hard work!
Let’s break it down a little…..
To be motivated you need a motive. Like when you look in the mirror and are not happy with what you see – next day you’re at the gym etc until that initial burst wears off… Then more than likely you’re back on the couch…. Sound familiar?
So what went wrong here? The motive wasn’t strong enough or clear enough!
Step 1 – Get clear on your motive, your reason WHY you need to do something
First thing you need to do is write down EXACTLY what it is that you want and WHY. A goal that isn’t written down is just a dream after all.
EG: “By the 21st December 2013 I will be under 90kg and feeling great about myself. I will look in the mirror with pride knowing that I am looking after myself and setting a great example for my kids and everyone around me to follow.”
A clear goal with a strong reason is a powerful thing.
If you want to take it to the next level you can write a list of 20 reasons as to why it is crucial for you to achieve that goal and post it up somewhere you’ll see it all the time 
Step 2 – Repetition
Instead of waiting to be struggling for motivation one day you need to be proactive. Every day when you wake up you’ll revisit your goal and your reasons why – this will set your brains GPS to what you need to do and how you need to behave in order to realise that goal.
There are 2 ways to change a behaviour:
1) Is through repetition. Every time you repeat this process you add a bit of superglue to the new neural connections making them harder and harder to break. In other words you are starting to form a new belief and the more you repeat the process the stronger that belief becomes. Repeat, repeat, repeat!
2) The other way is through a traumatic event. An example of this is that I used to often catch myself speeding, not intentionally but I would simply lose focus and end up going too fast. My best mate Jason passed away in a car accident when we were 21 and ever since then I’ve been far more diligent on the roads and rarely if ever catch myself above the speed limit. A traumatic event will deposit a huge amount of superglue around those new neural connections forming a new belief instantly.
I recommend you remain in control and use the repetition method
Step 3 – Do stuff
It may come as no surprise that you actually have to do stuff to achieve goals.
The key here is to make sure you have a good plan so that your time and energy isn’t wasted. The worst thing you could possibly do is work your butt off and get nowhere or even go backwards – talk about a motivation killer!
My biggest tip here is to build a great team! If you want to grow a business – get a great business coach or mentor, if you want to lose weight – work with a great personal trainer, if you want to invest in real estate – find someone who has done it successfully and speak with them etc…
Learn from those who have done it before you and you will fast track your progress like you wouldn’t believe
Good luck with the 3 steps and remember – if it was easy everyone would be living the life of their dreams and it would be no fun anymore!
Dedicated to your fitness success,
Jake
