Motivation VS Discipline | The Truth About Fitness
Have you ever felt like getting up from the couch and going to the gym is the hardest thing in the world? Well, such experiences are usually blamed on the “lack of motivation” … But what is motivation, really?
Does it have to be the driving force and reasoning behind all your actions, or is there something more to that? In this article, we’re going to give you our take on motivation and how you can use it to enhance your fitness results.
What is Motivation?
Motivation is defined as the reason of an individual, to do something that will help them achieve a certain goal. And it’s very simple – If you don’t have the motivation, you won’t have the energy to do the things you have to do. Motivation is generally divided into two subtypes – External & Internal motivation.
Ever tried to get in shape just to impress your ex…? This is external motivation – When you are doing certain things for something OUTSIDE of yourself.
Then oppositely, you have internal motivation, which is the realization that what you’re doing is ultimately better for your OWN greater good. External motivation is usually less sustainable because it is less controllable. This is exactly why you have to rely on internal motivational factors, which will give you things no one could ever take away from you.
Finding Your Inner Motivation
For some of you, it may be that finding the inner motivation is something far-fetched and not even remotely doable… However, we are here to suggest to you that you can find motivation in discipline! If you rely on motivation entirely, you will certainly know that when you’re tired, you won’t do what you have to do (because you don’t have motivation).
Oppositely, if you establish discipline, you’ll do what it takes, whenever. And discipline is made out of habits! There is a tendency for people to attach meaning to things that give them results. And when it comes to your fitness and wellbeing, here are the things that will make that impact:
#1 Creating a sustainable nutrition plan
Your health is NOTHING without the nutrients it needs on a day-to-day basis. You are responsible for giving your body those nutrients, through well-selected food sources. It is highly recommended that you AVOID following trends and instead, apply principles in your nutrition plan.
For instance, if you’re trying to lose weight, don’t follow the keto diet, but rather create a caloric deficit. Ultimately, the best nutrition plan is the one you can adhere and stick to. You feel good eating little to no carbs? Fine, do it! You feel okay with the carnivore diet and can stick to it long-term? Sure thing, go-ahead.
Choose what you can stick to and make sure you are giving the body all essential nutrients that it needs (proteins, fats, carbs, vitamins and minerals).
#2 Focus on the right things
The reason why many people lose motivation is that they focus on the wrong things during their fitness journey. For instance, measuring your fitness just based on how much you weigh can be FATAL for your motivation levels. The weight scale is the single most dangerous tool that can ruin your day, mood, and feeling of progress.
While tracking your weight, make sure to also track things like:
- Mood
- Energy levels
- How you look
- How your clothes fit
- How you sleep
- Athletic performance
In doing all of this, you will find other aspects to give meaning to and thus, increase your motivation in the long term
#3 Focus on Discipline
Most people view the fitness journey as something with a start and end date. Like if once you achieved your fitness goal, you won’t have to do anything to the rest of your life to maintain it. The harsh truth is it really isn’t ANYTHING like this… Training & nutrition are HABITS you should develop to take care of your body and increase the overall quality of your life.
You should not require motivation to do those things but instead, as we said, develop them as habits and stay disciplined towards them
This is the only way to maximized long-term progress.
Conclusion
Motivation can be both amazing for you and on the flipside, something that can actually ruin your long-term progress. The feeling of a motivation spike that keeps tight hold of you is like nothing else, but the truth is that it is not eternal, just like everything else in this life. For that exact reason, solely relying on motivation means you are doomed eventually.
When it comes to working on your health, wellbeing and physical development, motivation should not exist.
Discipline should.
