Motivation—Make it Happen!
This month we have a guest contributor for our health and wellness article. Kara Short, a Bethel member, and a Certified Personal Trainer and Personal Nutrition Coach, is providing her expertise in the area of motivation. As a trainer and nutrition coach Kara is very familiar with motivation and how it can impact your fitness and/or nutrition journey. Thanks, Kara, for this month’s article. Be well, Kathy Ferguson, Parish Nurse
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord, is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.” Isaiah 12:2
What is motivation? Motivation is the desire to do something. This is a hot topic in my professional world of health and fitness. As a coach, I hear every single day about how something did or didn’t get done depending on the level of motivation. You know, “I didn’t get my workout in because I wasn’t motivated.” Or “I just need to get motivated to ________.” Most often, it’s “I just didn’t feel like.” People tend to wait around for magic motivation to just appear to help them along toward better health and better habits, or really completing any task. It doesn’t work like that, and we end up feeling bad about it. Well, I have a better way- Action first, Motivation second. This is what healthy, successful people do. Whatever the task at hand, they don’t wait to feel like doing it, they just do it.
When I’m working with my nutrition and training clients, I help them form consistency with habits and actions. We work together to just take action. Have you ever said, “I don’t feel like it.” Does anything get done at that point? Do you regret it later? Try this- take a small, simple action to get you started. Then, once you finish your task, note how glad you are and how accomplished you feel. THAT is the feeling of motivation. Example- instead of waiting to feel like going to the gym, put your shoes on, grab your keys, and start driving. Once you start, chances are, you’ll keep going and finish.
According to Brendon Burchard, a motivational speaker and podcaster of “The Brendon Show,” motivation happens when you combine ambition and action. Ambition is the desire for more. Brendon says, “Keep in touch with your future, and you’ll have ambition, and in turn, motivation.” There is a better outlook with these things if you actively practice self-care and what you consume on a regular basis. Meaning, consumption of positivity, joy, uplifting people versus too much bad news, social media, or negativity. Nothing saps motivation to do anything like negativity and poor outlook. And, without motivation, there is suffering- it is a slippery slope.
So, how do we take action to generate motivation to do something? It’s like generating energy. Motivation can rest on how you feel physically. If your body is lethargic, so is your mind. So, if you are well-rested, then motivation isn’t lost because of fatigue. A lot of motivation happens in the morning when our energy is higher. Every morning, focus on what your day may bring and set an intention to guide yourself. Planning your day accordingly can help you get things accomplished. Motivation has an emotional component. Those emotions are powerful and can either drive us forward or push us down- so tap into your emotions to go after what you want to achieve. Set a tangible goal that means something to you. Surround yourself with people that are positive and supportive, and who may have similar goals and intentions as you.
Something you can try right away is filling in this morning’s intention that I use with some of my clients- Today, I will feel _________. Today, I will be ___________. Today, I will do ____________. Keep it positive. Keep it doable. Keep it aligned with how you want to live. Guide yourself forward and don’t wait to “feel” motivated. Remember that you deserve the best.
Motivate yourself each day with the idea that God will lift you up when you’re down.