The Secret Behind Motivation

Within the course of a day I work with anywhere from 5-25 women who are all working to improve their bodies through exercise. Some women see tremendous, dramatic and long-lasting results. Others don’t. Some women are motivated and consistent for months, even years on end. Others aren’t. They all crave the same results but one group achieves success and improves their well-being while the other is left feeling the same or worse yet, defeated.

So what’s the secret?

Well surely there are a number of factors involved but one key component that I see among successful clients is not just whether or not they have enough motivation, but rather WHERE their motivation comes from. The secret is in the source.

There are 2 kinds of motivation: intrinsic and extrinsic.

Intrinsic motivation = doing something because you enjoy it and enjoy the way it makes you feel. The reason comes from within, rather than from external factors.

External motivation = doing something for rewards, praise, or a sense of obligation.

Take a moment to think about why you exercise.

Do you exercise because you feel like you SHOULD to please your spouse/parents/friends/etc.? Do you go to the gym because that’s what others do so you should too? Do you watch what you eat and workout so that others notice and compliment you on your body? Or do you exercise because of the way it makes you feel? Because you feel better in your skin after a hot yoga session or because you actually (gasp!) LIKE it?

Take a moment to write down what it is that you turn to when you are struggling with motivation. Do you turn to internal factors or external factors to give you the extra push to get off the couch and out the door?

Research shows that those who rely more on intrinsic motivation are able to sustain activity for longer periods of time, avoid burn out, remain consistent and in the end, achieve higher levels of perseverance and well-being.

Those who rely primarily on external factors for are prone to giving up, burning out and ultimately losing motivation as time goes on. This yet another reason I’m not a fan on ‘thinspiration’ or ‘fitspiration’ and will never encourage you here or encourage any of my clients to use photos of other women for inspiration. Not only does it makes you feel like crap about your body, it doesn’t work! It’s not a viable source of motivation that will lead to actual, long-term results.

Clearly, it’s not just generic motivation that will keep you moving forward toward your fitness goals, but rather the quality and source of the motivation you  rely on day in and day out.

On a personal note, I believe this is why Pilates completely transformed my relationship with exercise. I LOVE doing Pilates. I’ve now been doing it consistently for years on end, rarely lacking motivation. I don’t do Pilates because I SHOULD to keep the weight off but because I love going to class, I love learning new exercises and I love the way I feel when I’m done. That’s more than enough motivation to get me to class. For once in my life, it finally feels easy!

So what does this mean for you?

The balanced perspective: in a perfect world you should find a healthy balance between to the two kinds of motivation. Intrinsic motivation is often overlooked and it may play the biggest role in your success. External motivation is not necessarily negative, it just needs to be balanced with a healthy dose of internal factors.

Action step: make it a goal to find one form of exercise that you LOVE doing! Find something that is fun and enjoyable and that you’d do even if it wasn’t considered exercise. Remember, you don’t have to be a gym rat to stay in shape! Try new things, explore what you love and report back 🙂