MOTIVATION To Work Out For Weight Loss And Why We Do Everything Else Too…
…Happiness belongs to those who are sufficient unto themselves. For all external sources of happiness and pleasure are, by their very nature, highly uncertain, precarious, ephemeral and subject to change…
Arthur Schopenhauer
This is just a little bit of personal experience and “insight” I would like to share.
The question before you begin any great adventure or task in life should be, “why am I doing this?” It may seem silly, but think about it. Why do you want to hit the gym? There are many reasons to take the time to think about this. No single motivation is “better” than another, but you must know what drives you. A person with a plan and intense desire is unstoppable. If you don’t know why you’re doing something, any reason is a good reason to stop.
If a man knows not what harbor he seeks, any wind is the right wind. ?-Seneca
Some say they don’t have the genetics or that they have had two kids, they are very busy and don’t have the time, blah, blah, blah. I say quit making excuses. The world is full of sympathetic ears, but I am not one of them. Excuses fall on deaf ears to the successful. I have worked with some folks that are in pretty rough shape, you name it, and I have trained it. Car accidents, knee surgeries, heart attacks, depression and the list goes on and on. Some of these folks have trained with me for a few months, going through the motions for what seems to be fruitless effort and I wonder if I am wasting their time as well as mine, but then it happens. Without the coddling and sympathetic ear they are used to, they realize the future is in their hands. A change of life can only be brought about by their hard work and intense desire to do so. A person doesn’t get in shape just because they want to. I have the knowledge, but they have to do the work; at home and in the gym.
Then it happens so quickly and without any foreshadowing. I wait out each session patiently until it does. Nothing extra-ordinary takes place. This is the same person, same type of day, who went to the same job as the day before, but now they are different. Why, and what happened? They have figured out the reason that they are working out and are now focusing the old energy that they used to make excuses with, to change and better themselves. Anything worth doing is worth doing well! I say, “Don’t go half assed!” You won’t accomplish anything! Go play ping-pong or something, but don’t lie to yourself and pretend you’re working out hard and then become frustrated for not making any progress. Inside you know where you are not putting in 100%, so change it. You have to work hard and put in the time, there are no shortcuts. So take some time to yourself and ask the difficult questions. What drives you? How bad do I want it? What do I need to do to change?
Only when you come to grips with these questions will you be ready to give it your all and make the body and lifestyle that you have always wanted.
It’s all well and good to preach but how do you use this information? First of all, don’t just forget it. Here is what you need to figure out.
Why do I work out?
Think, what is compelling you to want to hit the gym. Health, sex appeal, confidence? No reason is a bad reason; it’s a very personal thing. But the reason you go determines what method you should take to get the best results. A power lifter shouldn’t train like a tennis player and for health, you don’t need to be at the gym every day. Don’t waste time on any method that will not bring you closer to your goal.
How important is this to me?
You will run into all kinds of opposition when you take up the gym. Friends will want to party and spouses will want to go out for treats. Once you determine the level of importance your new hobby has to you, a decision can be made as to how devoted you would like to be. Your level of devotion determines your success to failure ratio. The more serious you get, the quicker you will achieve your goals. Set deadlines and stick to them. You need an agenda or you will not feel a sense of urgency and importance.
What should I be doing that I am not?
How is your diet? Are you really training hard? Do your bad habits interfere with your ultimate outcome? Only you know what you do and how it affects your goals when you’re alone.
P.S. I know some of what I said may sting a little. Let me know how you feel about it…good or bad 