How to Get Motivated to become Healthy

By dougnau on Mar 16, 2008 in Lifestyle Change, Wellness Coaching

Here’s a real beauty of a question. As a wellness coach (moreso than as a life coach), I hear this all of the time. Someone says that they really want to make lifestyle changes but they just can’t find the motivation.

Usually when I meet with a client in this situation, the first appointment goes well. I give them an opportunity to discuss their vision of what they want to bring into their life, they set some small goals to go for until our next meeting and leave ready to take on the world. Its in our second or third meeting they return and say - ‘Geez, I wanted to (fill in the blank, exercise, eat better…), but after a few days I had a party to go to, then I lost focus and…….. What should I do to get motivated?’.

This article will provide some suggestions as to how others have ‘gotten motivated’, and more importantly discuss some truths about motivation - what is it and how do you create a shift from being ‘unmotivated’.

How do Others Get Motivated

As a coach, its not my job to tell you how to get motivated. My job is to empower you to see for yourself the path that will work best for you. While I do object to telling people what they need to do, I don’t object to letting clients know things that others have done which have worked for them. Perhaps that will spark an idea that they can own for themselves. So if you are trying to generate ideas, looking at what has worked for other people (see my article on copying others for success) can be a very empowering model for finding a method that will work for you.

What Others have Done

The following are things that I have seen work for many people. Ask yourself if one, or a combination of these seems to hit a cord.

Set Goals: For many people all it takes to make lifestyle change is to set a goal. By giving a goal an end date, a clear objective and fun focus, you may find that is enough to make change. This website has many articles on goal setting - if you’d like to start with an easy to read article on goals, check out ‘How to Keep a New Years Resolution‘
Get Accountable: This is big. If you really want to make lifestyle changes get accountable. Tell your family/friends/co-workers, share your health vision with everyone you know.
Enroll a Partner: There are many people I meet with that couldn’t do it alone, but with a partner they become accountable and have the motivation of two on their side. If you don’t know anyone, go online and look for social networking sites to find either an online buddy or one that you can meet with in person. No excuses here - you are not the only person out there looking for support to reach health goals.
Commit Financially: We’ve all heard horror stories about the person that joins the gym but never uses it and spends hundreds of dollars (if not more). Maybe the gym is not right, but committing to a bike race, a cancer walk, or a half marathon is big.
Find a greater purpose: What is your reason for making lifestyle change. Unfortunately, too often ‘for our health’ is not enough. But what if the reason is to care for an elderly parent, to be there for our children, to support people stricken with AIDS, to be a leader in shifting societies perspective in wellness. Be clear of your reason ‘why’ and make sure its something you are passionate about.
Lower the Bar (take small steps): Instead of taking on a big lifestyle change, make a commitment to do one small thing differently each week. every other week, or month. Maybe cutting out soda is one step you can commit to today, and you’ll consider exercise in a month. Pick small steps you know you can commit to and achieve these gracefully. Build on results
Visualize Success: Become extremely clear on what success would look like. Athletes visualize being in ‘the zone’. Visualize what the perfect week would look like - you will find it easier to achieve your goals once you are very clear what your objectives are and what it will be like to complete them.
Join a group: Weight Watchers, Jennie Craig, and different support groups that share your purpose has worked for millions on people.

This is obviously not a comprehensive list of the things people have done to get fit.

Now here’s the big question.

Which one of these would you never do? Which one do you look at and say - no way,that’s not for me. Which wont you give a second thought to?

I invite you to take a look at the one above you despise the most. Is it that you could never enroll in an event that required physical activity? Is it that you refuse to join a support group. Take a look for yourself and see what fears, objections and for lack of a better word ’stuff’ comes up. If you were able to face this ’stuff’ - do you think it might be possible that you could face your motivational challenges to get healthy?

I am not saying that the one you despise the most is the action you must take, I am simply inviting you to look a little deeper - perhaps the reaction to this option is really a reaction to making the change you know you want to make. Lifestyle change is not easy and it requires us to face what we do not want to face about ourselves. What are you seeing for yourself as you read this?

What do you really want? Really

I’ve just asked you to look at some pretty deep questions and perhaps its made for some introspective inquiry. Now that you are paying closer attention, breathing a little deeper, reading a little closer, ask yourself what you really want. If you’re life’s been dominated by inactivity, by poor nutrition, by abuse of your physical and spiritual body, ask yourself what you would be willing to do to get closer to your image of wellness. If you want to spend your days having more of the same - then by all means do so. If you want change, I am confident you already know what to do (and if you don’t, read through my archives for many more articles).

The Truth about Motivation

Motivation does not exist. Its just a word, its a bullshit concept. I use a strong adjective because as a wellness coach I’ve seen the word used over and over and its an excuse for someone not doing something. Its a way to put blame for inaction on some mystical power in the universe called ‘motivation’. Like we were born with two eyes, two arms, a nose and a case of low motivation. Too bad there is nothing I can do about that lack of motivation!

Everyone has a choice of how they decide to use their physical facilities. Even those with handicaps can choose how they would like to live within the restraints of those handicaps. Motivation is simply a decision and a momentary decision can carry with it the weight of a lifetime of health and wellness. Forget motivation, make a choice today to change. What choice can you make that will force you to change? Will you hire a personal trainer for one year and pay up front, will you throw out all your candy right now, will you enroll a loved one by letting them know you need support. What can you do that is difficult for you, it can be done immediately, and it represents that you are ready not to become motivated, but rather to take action.

You know what it will take to get you motivated. The question is whether or not you are willing to make the decision to become so. Are you willing to challenge the ’status quo’ of your lifestyle. If you are, you’ve just made a big decision and regardless of your actions in the past - in this moment and for the future, you are highly motivated.

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