“Why? 3x” — The Simple Unlock to Lasting ‘Fitspiration’
Light the fire the fuels your fitness forever!
When the topic of fitness arises in conversation it always leads to goal sharing.
- “I want to lose 20lbs.”
- “I want to get rid of this saggy arm fat.”
- “I want a tighter belly.”
- “I want more muscle.”
These are goals, arbitrary as they may be, that many people have. What many people don’t have is an understanding of why those goals matter to them and it is a lack of this “why” that causes people to veer off track, lose their motivation, and slowly stop trying.
Rather than throw out a number you’d like to see on a scale or conjure up some dream body image you have in your head of what you think you need to look like, I want you to ask yourself, “Why?” 3 times (Why 3x).
“Why 3x” in Practice
Suppose you’re visiting me for a consultation. In this consult I’m going to ask you why you’re here and what your goals are. I’m going to show you two examples of how this exchange can go — one with my Why 3x method and one without.
Example 1
Zach: Jodie, I’m glad you decided to meet with me. I’m interested in learning more about you and your story. Why don’t we start with discussing what you want to get out of this program. What goals have you set for yourself?
By the way, your name is Jodie in this example. Just go with it.
Jodie: Yeah, well, I really want to lose weight. Maybe 20lbs or so. I really want to get rid of this belly fat too.
Zach: Okay, awesome. Lets move on to your health history.
Analysis
Did we go deep there? No, not at all. We identified some of your wants, but we didn’t delve into what makes them important to you. We didn’t uncover your “why”. This leaves both of us, especially you, feeling wishful toward your goals rather than energized by them. Let’s look at our second example.
Example 2
Zach: Jodie, I’m glad you decided to meet with me. I’m interested in learning more about you and your story. Why don’t we start with discussing what you want to get out of this program. What goals have you set for yourself?
Jodie: Yeah, well, I really want to lose weight. Maybe 20lbs or so. I really want to get rid of this belly fat too.
Zach: You want to lose weight? Why? — Why #1
Jodie: I just want to feel better about myself I guess.
Zach: Why is that important to you? — Why #2
Jodie: Because since I was a kid I’ve been overweight and it’s bothered me ever since. It’s tough growing up as the “fat kid”.
Zach: Why is that? — Why #3
Jodie: Kids made fun of me, I wasn’t good at sports, I didn’t date much. It really hurt my self-esteem and I want to regain control of that.
Zach: I can relate to that a lot. I understand the pain that comes along with that and how hard it can be to finally make the decision to make a change and stick with it. I can help you with that.
Jodie: I would love that! I hadn’t even thought about why I wanted to lose weight until you asked. Now I’m gonna crush it!
Analysis
Wow, that was powerful stuff! Instead of just scribbling down what you initially told me about your goals I decided to take it up another level, or to be precise, another 3 levels. By asking you “Why?” 3x helped us uncover, together, where these goals and desires come from and why they’re important to you.
Losing weight is more than just being thinner, to you it’s about regaining your self-worth. It’s about taking back what those years of smart comments from your peers, feelings of rejection, and bouts of isolation did to your psyche. It’s about changing how you view yourself and the world around you. It’s about living life to your full potential. Isn’t that more inspiring than having bigger arms or a flat stomach? Although they are a nice side effect.
I don’t care if you’re an elite athlete trying to perfect your craft, a business woman looking to get in shape better shape, or a couch potato looking to turn their health around. The next time you write down your goals, don’t just stop at weight loss or body goals, ask yourself:
“Why?” 3x
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About The Author: I’m Zach Newman. I’m an ACE Certified Personal Trainer. Conversation is insanely important to me. Its why I love creating things because creation sparks discussion and discussion is the best way to learn from each other. Whether its about fitness and health, what books to read, or what’s going on in the world today, my goal is to build the best community around conversations that better the lives of everyone involved.
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