Motivation

Many times when I coach people on training or just losing weight, one point I like to emphasize is the WHY do you want to do it.  What is your motivation?  Over the years I have received many different answers.  I would say for the majority of people including myself we have a short-term goal, such as a contest, wedding, reunion, date, etc.., that gets us excited or at least moving in the right direction to better our physique, but in a long-term vision, we need to look at the big picture and especially our health and rising health care costs.  The only problem with short-term goals is that once it is over no matter how we finished, many people decide to revert back to their old eating and training habits.  So the question is how do we make it into a long-term goal and are short-term goals even worth it?

Let’s answer one question at a time.  I think short-term goals are essential to help us possibly foster better habits in order to get to an intrinsic long-term goal, such as good health.  I believe we have become a society of instant gratification and everybody wants everything now.  This would explain why people still believe there is a magic pill for losing weight.  I believe that if a person sets a few short-term goals for an extrinsic reward many times throughout the year that they could eventually develop good habits of eating and exercising and eventually the intrinsic aspect of feeling good and healthy may take over allowing them to continue their training without having to set so many short-term goals or dangling more carrots. 

So how do you make a small adjustment in your life that can eventually lead to a lifestyle change?  I believe if a person can at least began the battle by using extrinsic rewards strategically spaced out over a long period of time like six months to a year, I feel that the renewed energy and vigor in their life can be convincing enough to have them long for that same feeling everyday rather than reverting back to pre-reward status.  I would suggest either using a computer or laying a monthly calendar that is visible everyday, especially with any important dates on it.  Also, I know we don’t like to do it, but weighing the same time everyday (morning preffered) and tracking progress is a great visual for achieving those short term goals.  Out of sight, out of mind is a double edge sword, it works great with not eating foods we shouldn’t be, but also with goals or objectives that make us accountable for our actions.