Stop Chasing Motivation (And 5 Tips to Set Sustainable Habits Instead) 

So many people chase motivation on their fitness journey, but what if we chased something more realistic instead of always needing to rely on motivation.  

The truth is that you are not going to be motivated to do your workouts or eat healthy every day.  You are not going to be motivated to stick to those goals you set at the beginning of the new year every single day.  You are not going to be motivated every day, you just aren’t.  But what if you considered chasing consistency instead?  What if you worked to set sustainable habits each and every day that you can take with you all the way through 2023 and beyond…what if you didn’t have to rely on motivation to get you to you goals?  Because…I’m going to let you in on a secret, you don’t need it…if you set yourself up right.  

Find Your Why

Finding your why is absolutely imperative to help build consistency and not rely on motivation.  You why is the deep reason why you’ve set the goal you’ve set.  We aren’t talking surface level why’s here…we want to ask ourselves why until we get to those deeper reasons that really make us emotional or that we truly connect with. Connecting in this way makes the goal deeper and when we can connect to it in this deeper way then we don’t need to rely on motivation to help us stick to it.  Instead we want to do what we need to do in order to connect to the emotions and feelings that are associated with it.  

Break Your Goals Down

Often when we set goals we are setting large, overarching goals that frankly are just overwhelming (even for the most motivated of people).  Breaking the goals down into much smaller weekly or even daily goals can help us stay on track.  Smaller goals also require less (or no motivation) to complete, which means you don’t need as much (or any) motivation to achieve them.  If you have a large goal you are chasing try sitting down and breaking it down into several smaller goals that will help you work towards the larger goal and watch the magic happen. 

Start Small (Like Very Small)

If your small goals are still too much for you try starting even smaller.  And when I say small I mean as small as you need to in order to make sure that you will do it…no excuses.  If you want to workout in the morning and are struggling try just setting your workout clothes out…that’s a small thing, something you need very little motivation to do, but it can start a chain reaction that will lead to more things.  And if some days all you do is set out your workout clothes then so be it.   

Commit to 5 Minutes

I know when it comes to fitness especially this is one that always helps when your not feeling motivated.  Start with 5 minutes or just complete your warm-up.  Most of the time if you can get that much done you will keep going. Some days maybe you don’t and that’s okay too, but if you can commit to 5 minutes you are likely to start to feel better and you will likely keep going after the 5 minute timer runs out. 

Strive for Consistency

At the end of the day consistently completing small tasks is going to take you further in the long run than inconsistently completing large ones.  If possible choose something small that you can do each and every day to help it become more of a habit.  The more habitual a behaviour becomes that less that you have to rely or motivation (or think about it at all really).  Focus on consistency over the size of the goals that your chasing.  A little bit better each and every day will add up quicker than you think, and when you look back you will see great things!   

Often people cite a lack of motivation as one of the most common reasons they aren’t achieving their health and fitness goals, but if you set yourself up well and avoid relying on motivation all together, you can kick that excuse to the curb!  Which tips have worked for you, or which tips are going to try?  Drop them in the comments below!