March 11th, 2015

Lacking Motivation? Try These 4 Steps

So, you want to lose weight or get in shape, but you can’t seem to stay motivated and regularly fall off the wagon. Sound about right? If so, you probably aren’t tuned in to what we like to call your “why” – the deep-seated reason for your fitness goal. Here’s what we mean and how to discover it.

Your "Why" Will Motivate You

In our experience, it is the people who understand their why – not what they want to achieve, but their core motivation for wanting to achieve it – that see long-term sustainable success. So when we encounter a client who is struggling with motivation and consistency, we’ll often take them through an exercise to help them discover their why.

Basically we’re asking: if you peel back that top layer of wanting to look better or feel better, what’s underneath it? You may not know right away, and you may have to peel back a few (or many) layers – and it can sometimes get uncomfortable – but it’s there.

We have a process for taking our clients through this exercise but it can be done without a fancy framework. How? Here are the 4 simple steps:

1. Define

Define and write down what you want to achieve (this is the “on the surface goal” – like “fat loss”, or “increase flexibility”).

2. Your Why

Think about why it’s important to you.

3. Go Deeper

Think about why that’s important to you.

4. Repeat

Repeat the process, peeling away layers, until you feel a bit of an ‘a-ha’ moment.

If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll get there! And if you don’t – try again. Sometimes it takes a while. But it’s worthwhile – understanding your WHY can be the difference between struggling to stay on the wagon and seeing real and lasting results.

Goals change from time-to-time so it’s good to revisit this exercise every so often. Also, it can be used for other areas of your life also – including career-related goals, personal development goals, and personal/family goals also, so it’s a great one to have in your back pocket.

Staying Committed

Working with a personal trainer is an excellent way to keep motivated and accountable to your goals. Your personal trainer will not only help you find your why but stay committed to it.

Nielsen Fitness trainers work with clients in-home and virtually. Contact us to claim your free first workout and get started on your goals today.

Updated on August 17, 2022.