WHY you’re not motivated.
WHY are you doing what you’re doing?
How many times have you asked yourself this question?
WHY do you wake up in the morning to brush your teeth?
That’s easy... If I don’t brush my teeth I will have cavities and rotten teeth, and it’s going to cause me pain and discomfort. Also, people will judge me based on my oral hygiene. So, I brush my teeth twice a day and make sure to floss.
WHY do you go to work?
Well... if I don’t go to work, I won’t have any money. If I don’t have money to support myself and my family we won’t have food or a home and will end up homeless. I will feel like a failure and lose respect from the people around me. So, I need to go to work.
WHY do you need to exercise?
This is a more complex answer and varies from person to person. Everyone has their reason for working out and getting in shape, the important thing is to get down to the root of why it is you want to get into shape and be healthy. Ask yourself WHY 7 times.
1.WHY do I want to get in shape? The first response is usually surface level and doesn’t really get down to the root of why. People will usually respond with:
- I want to look better
- I want to feel better
- I want to change my life
- I want to have more sex
Ok, now ask yourself why a second time. WHY do I want to look better? Why do you want to feel better? Why do you want to have more sex? Etc.
2. Let’s go with the “I want to look better response”. WHY do you want to look better? Possible response:
- I want to feel better
3. WHY do I want to feel better?
- I want to be more confident in my life.
4. WHY do I want to be more confident?
- I want people to take me seriously and have the confidence to put myself out there in uncomfortable situations.
Now we’re getting somewhere.
5. WHY is it important for people to take me seriously and to put myself out there?
- It will help me reach my goals and reach my full potential.
6. WHY is it important for me to reach your goals and full potential?
- I want my family to be proud of me and prove to myself that I am capable of being successful.
By this point you feel like you’ve gotten to the root of your WHY, and all from just asking yourself why you want to get in shape! Crazy I know. The last why.
7. WHY is it important to make my family proud and prove to myself that I'm capable of being successful?
- Because I don’t want to feel like a failure
Let’s backtrack to our original question of why you want to get in shape, your REAL WHY. The actual reason why you want to get in shape:
YOU DON”T WANT TO FEEL LIKE A FAILURE
Wow.
Now that is a powerful why, and has much more emotion attached to it.
A WHY like that is going to keep you DEDICATED towards your goals much more than “I want to look better”.
Remember motivation is fickle, it rarely lasts for long periods of time. It's an ephemeral feeling, something like an adrenalin rush, it comes in a powerful wave then leaves you dry. Having a powerful why will keep you DEDICATED to what it is you want to accomplish.