Motivation and Momentum
With 2020 just around the corner, i’ve been thinking on the subject of motivation and momentum as a means of helping you find it, and truly reach heights that I know you’re all capable of. I’ve been a personal trainer for several years now and the only thing I hear more than “I hate you” is “i’m just not motivated, where do you find the motivation to do this everyday?,” My answer to that is, I don’t. Motivation has been lifted on such a high pedestal that it’s right up there with jesus on a tortilla, surely there must be some secret to it, right? In my experience, motivation is fleeting and only serves as the spark that ignites the fire. After that fire ignites, it’s not motivation that keeps it burning, its constant stoking, its challenges, it’s a need to keep moving forward, each block of wood and kindling present a new challenge to overcome, they also represent a fuel source, momentum. After you get the spark to hit the gym, motivation has done it’s job, it got you through the door, now it’s on you to keep your fire burning. a few ways that i’ve found to keep my flames bright and strong are below-
- Improvement of skill- With fitness I knew was improving through changes in my body, in how heavy certain weights had felt but mostly it was in how I felt about myself afterwards. Fitness gave me a means of confidence and sanctuary from my struggles, in there things became easy, at least for a time. In writing that skill improvement came when my thoughts in my mind became clear enough to translate into words that I can express to all of you. In terms of education, my improvement in skill came when I no longer sighed at the thought of challenging my brain with new information but rather became excited by it, when one article lead to the next and as my curiosity grew, so did my expectations of myself.
- Periodization and Goal Setting- Periodazation helps me continue progressing because as time goes on, my goals and expectations for myself change as well, and with each goal is a new method. Creating a structure for these plans keep my brain actively engaged and always problem solving, just when things get routine, periodization freshens things up and the road goes on. In terms of writing self help vs writing fiction, reading philosophy or reading physiology, when in doubt, don’t be afraid to change the stimulus and stoke your fire.
- Will Power- This is the most diffifult on the list because as studies have shown, will power IS a finite resource, but like any other muscle, you CAN make it stronger. One decision at a time, on days where you’ve been put through the ringer at work, hitting the gym at 7:30pm is the last thing you feel like doing. Thats when it’s most important for you to though! to prove to yourself that you CAN do this! No amount of self help articles or motivation can power you through that friction, only you and your shear power of will. Waking up at 5am for a job we hate? No question, needs to be done, but doing something beneficial for your health and longevity? Netflix never looks more appealing, PUT IN THE WORK, and you’ll thank yourself every day after.
The days will come that you inevitably will need to force yourself to go to work, to go to the gym, to write an article, or read a book, but the things that propel you in the long run are worth the push! frankly, the best work outs i’ve ever had took place in moments that i wanted nothing to do with it, most of my personal strength records have too! The real magic is in the euphoria you feel after you accomplish something rigorous that you had to fight with yourself to get through, but you did it, and that’s incredible.
The bottom line is that motivation is great, but do you know what’s even better? Momentum, that’s what carries you through to that half marathon that cubicle Carly wants to run this spring, to that screen play that writer Robbie wants to pitch to Warner Brothers and what will carry you to any goal that you set out to accomplish. Momentum works like this, you sit down at the table of your local coffee shop, order a mocha frappe and let the smell of fresh cocoa beans infiltrate your olfactory in that euphoric way that only coffee can. Grab a seat at your favorite corner booth with a window view for people watching, pull out your laptop and stare at a blank word document, the cursor blinking continuously, hypnotically. Reaching out for the keys you title your latest headline, you start your sentence about the first thing that pops into your head, and then another, and another, and another. When you finally stop to read what you've written, its a full paragraph. Each sentence building upon the other into a extravagant world of yout own design.
Fitness works in a similar fashion, no one starts out a ripped action hero, but stepping through those doors takes you one step closer, it’s a definiing moment that says to you, and everyone in that gym that you’re making a stand, you’re waging a war on an unhealthy life style and leading your life towards a stronger, healthier, more genuine version of yourself that you’ll be proud to introduce to the world around you. This new year 2020, make that commitment to yourself to see things clearly as they are, and don’t let motivation or lack there of run your life. Announce to yourself that you’re taking a stand and that you’re taking back the wheel of your life, I’m in your corner and I’ll see you out there!
